Somali Referee to Be Paid Despite US Entry Ban
A Somali referee set to officiate at the World Cup will still receive his full salary for the matches he was scheduled to handle, even though he was denied entry into the United States.
Omar Artan faced a significant setback when he arrived at Miami International Airport. Reports surfaced that U.S. Border Protection and Customs Enforcement conducted a “concerning review” of him. Consequently, he was barred from entering the country. This incident unfolded on June 6, and he was detained for over 11 hours before being sent back to Somalia via a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
The discussions surrounding Artan’s pay are ongoing. Officials are calculating how much he will receive based on the number of matches he had been assigned, as reported by ESPN.
After being stopped at the airport, U.S. officials suggested that he had “associations with suspected members of terrorist organizations,” which I suppose is pretty serious. Artan, however, expressed confusion over the situation, saying, “I had the right documents and everything. I had the right visa. I think they have a problem with my country.” It makes you wonder just what goes on behind the scenes, doesn’t it?
In light of this ordeal, UEFA indicated that Artan will officiate the Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in August, which is a bit of good news in an otherwise troubling scenario.
When Artan returned to Somalia, he was met with enthusiastic applause and a celebratory welcome. It’s heartwarming, really, to see how much support he has from his community.
FIFA has received criticism regarding its response to Artan’s ban, suggesting that the organization avoids involvement in immigration matters, leaving decisions to the host country. FIFA President Gianni Infantino remarked that Artan’s situation was “unfortunate” and commented on the importance of remaining calm and avoid jumping to extreme reactions. Sometimes it seems like the best approach is just to take a breath and not rush into things, right?
