Somali referee Omar Artan will not officiate at the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States by immigration authorities.

The United States Customs and Border Protection confirmed on Monday that a Somali national who was scheduled to referee at the World Cup was denied entry after arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday.

Although the CBP statement did not identify the traveller by name, Omar Artan is the only World Cup referee from Somalia.

FIFA later confirmed that Artan would be unable to participate in training or officiate at the tournament, saying it had been informed by United States authorities that his status would not be changed at present.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” FIFA said.

The world football governing body also noted that it was not involved in immigration processes, which remain under the authority of the host government.

FIFA subsequently released a statement on Artan’s behalf, in which the referee expressed disappointment but said he remained focused on his future career.

“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said.

“I would like to thank FIFA and the African federation for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future. I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”

Explaining the decision, CBP said the traveller underwent additional inspection, which it described as a routine part of the entry process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.

“Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry,” CBP said.

The agency added that all travellers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches, officials and support staff, are subject to inspection and vetting.

According to CBP, admissibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security and immigration information available at the time of inspection.

“CBP officers have the authority to question travellers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law,” the agency said.

Artan’s exclusion is the latest immigration-related controversy affecting the World Cup, with questions again being raised over how host-country entry rules may affect players, officials, staff and supporters during the tournament.

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