Deprived of the World Cup: a year marked by barriers, borders and disrupted access

For the first time Time in World Cup History: Eight Arab countries qualified for it Championship this yearincluding Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan – double the number of teams that qualified for Qatar in 2022.

However, the tournament is being held at an unprecedented moment of heightened geopolitical tension. the The American-Israeli war with Iranwhich began in February this year, has caused ripple effects across the Gulf states and neighboring countries in the Levant, including Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, reshaping security around travel and movement for fans and players coming from the region.

the US Department of State It has completely halted the issuance of visas to citizens of countries whose teams have qualified, including Iran and Haiti – despite it being the first time Haiti has qualified for the World Cup since 1974. Just one week before the tournament began, the Iranian Football Federation announced, according to Reuters, I mentioned that thousands of fans had their tickets cancelled; Before that, the United States ruled so Iranian players And employees will have to Traveled to the United States from Mexico On days when the team plays matches on American soil.

Iran is the most obvious example, but it is not the only one. He was the president of the Palestinian Football Association Entry denied To the United States, as fans enter Morocco Their visas were refused, and many lost money on travel costs.

“For other Middle Eastern countries, although it may not be completely banned, they face a steeper hill depending on the country,” says Talib Visram, a freelance reporter who has been closely covering this year’s World Cup through his Substack show America’s Cup, spending months interviewing experts and tracking preparations for the tournament.

​”Fans of countries such as Jordan – one of the newcomers – had to apply for visas several months in advance. While these waiting times were later accelerated, there was a rejection rate More than 40 percentHe adds.

Similar barriers have emerged across Africa. Fans of Ivory Coast and Senegal She was met with a visa refusal, while a Somali judge with an approved US visa was refused Entry denied When he landed in Miami, confirming that official approval to travel does not necessarily guarantee entry at the border.

In addition to visa hurdles, fans from Ivory Coast, Senegal, Tunisia and Algeria also faced the possibility of entry bonds into the United States. Up to $15,000 Go to the tournament. In May, the State Department moved to waive the guarantee requirement for visitors coming to the country for the World Cup, but only if they had purchased official tickets and applied for FIFA’s Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS) by April 15. This final date means concession. It may not help a lot of fans.

What lies behind these findings is a complex system. While obtaining a US visa is officially the same for all applicants, State Department guidance states that applicants may be subject to expanded screening and vetting, including a review. Social media and online activity. Then some cases are pushed to Administrative processingwhich is an open security review that can last weeks or months without a clear timeline. Layers on those are Biometric checks At both the visa and border stage, which can include fingerprinting and facial comparison techniques, which can add further delays or lead to additional screening even for those with approved visas.

“We’ve seen examples of visa-screening algorithms, automation, all kinds of decisions being made by artificial intelligence behind the scenes, and that changes the ways in which people can enter countries,” says Petra Molnar, a lawyer and anthropologist at the Refugee Law Lab at York University in Toronto who specializes in the effects of technology on immigration and border crossings. “It changes the immigration, detention and deportation systems as well.”