Football fans said they feared the ‘hostile’ visa ban handed down by Donald Trump’s White House could stop them from following their team at this year’s World Cup
A US State Department official has insisted that Donald Trump‘s visa ban will not affect the World Cup amid fears fans could be turned away at the border.
This week, the Trump administration announced an “indefinite pause” on immigrant visa processing from 75 countries to “end abuse” of the welfare system – meaning people from these nations will not be able to apply for a visa.
The list includes several countries which have qualified for this summer’s FIFA World Cup – including Brazil, Colombia, Morocco, and Iran, and fans have voiced concerns that the clampdown could see them turned away at the border.
Last night, a US State Department official told the Mirror that the “ban applies to the issuance of immigrant visas only, and does not apply to nonimmigrant visas, such as those for tourists, athletes and their families, and media professionals intending to travel for the World Cup.”
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What has the US announced?
The US State Department said on Wednesday that it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, as the Trump administration believes people from these countries are likely to “extract wealth” from the welfare system.
A memo read: “The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people.
“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
It forms part of Trump’s wider immigration crackdown, which has seen thousands of raids on suspected illegal migrants take place in towns and cities across the US since he returned to the White House one year ago.
Which World Cup nations are on the list?
A total of 75 nations are affected by the new ‘visa freeze’. The United Kingdom will not be impacted.
The 14 countries which feature on the list and have also qualified for the FIFA World Cup are:
- Algeria
- Brazil
- Cape Verde
- Colombia
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Haiti
- Iran
- Ivory Coast
- Jordan
- Morocco
- Senegal
- Tunisia
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
‘If you don’t want visitors, don’t host the World Cup’
While the ban applies to immigrant visas only, activists say the massive overhaul could delay all types of visa processing at US consulates around the world as staff are retrained – and may put nonimmigrant applications from these nations in line for tougher vetting, further slowing things down.
Daniel Norona, Americas advocacy director at Amnesty International USA, said: “We are concerned that this will create a non-welcoming and overall hostile environment for the fans… You cannot have unity if you’re promoting discrimination.”
Djibril Gueye, a Senegalese fan, meanwhile told Al Jazeera: “It’s up to the United States to provide the conditions… If the U.S. is barring certain visitors, then the country shouldn’t agree to host the World Cup.”
Jostein Hague, a political economist and an Assistant Professor at Cambridge, said on X that the US is “deliberately slamming the door on people from dozens of countries while preparing to host a global sporting event”, adding that is send a “blatantly hostile message to fans around the world.”
What do we know about visas for the World Cup?
In November, Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled a ‘FIFA Pass’ to allow those who have purchased tickets through the official portal to get interviews for visas more quickly.
Stood next to the US president in the Oval Office, Infantino said: “If you have a ticket for the World Cup, you can have prioritised appointments to get your visa.”
He added: “You said it the very first time we met, Mr. President, America welcomes the world.”
But Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also in the room, emphasised that “the ticket is not a visa” and does not guarantee entry into the United States.
“We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get – the only difference here is, we’re moving them up in the queue”, he said.
The US State Department says further information regarding FIFA PASS will be released early this year.