Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire invariably splash colour in the stands, apart from brandishing lively football on the field. But in next year’s World Cup, there games would be sparsely attended, thanks to the US government’s reinvigorated stance on travel ban. According to the updated travel restrictions to the US, following the arrest of an Afghan man accused of shooting two national guard troops near the White House, the US government has made their visa policies even more stringent. Consequently, fans from these countries could face “partial restrictions” and “entry limitations.”
The Trump administration blamed the overstay rates for tourists on B1 or B2 visitor visas from the countries for the ban. According to the Overstay Report, Cote d’Ivoire had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 8.47 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 19.09 percent. Senegal had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 4.30 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 13.07 percent. Both have two group games in the US.
A statement on the White House website read: “Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats.”
Haiti and Iran are the other nations facing severe travel restrictions. Irani’s football chief threatened to boycott the draw ceremony in the wake of this, before last-minute change of mind. However, exemptions will be made to athletes and their families. “Any athlete or member of an athletic team, including the coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, travelling for the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting event, as determined by the secretary of state,” the statement detailed.
The measures have sparked criticism from fans worldwide. Jonan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, said: “We’re particularly concerned about the potential for selective enforcement and discrimination against fans based on our perceived political views or national origin. “Fifa must obtain the necessary guarantees to ensure fans from all over the world are able to safely travel and attend the games.”
In 2017 football’s world governing body Fifa had warned Trump that travel bans could hinder the USA’s joint bid for the 2026 World Cup. Fifa president Gianni Infantino had said: “It’s obvious when it comes to Fifa competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup. The requirements will be clear.” Since, then, the equation between Infantino and Trump has changed.
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