Locked in Global Competition: A Year in History with Barriers, Limits, and Recent Access

For the first one time in World Cup historically, eight Arab countries qualified this year’s competitionincluding Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Jordan — doubling the number of teams entering Qatar in 2022.

However, the competition is taking place at a time when there has been no international controversy. The US-Israel war with Iranwhich began in February of this year, has caused problems in all the Gulf countries and neighboring countries in the Levant, including Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan, and renewed security around the travel and movement of fans and players coming from the region.

The US State Department has completely suspended the issuance of visas to citizens from countries with qualifying teams, including Iran and Haiti—even though it was the first time Haiti reached the World Cup since 1974. Just one week before the tournament, the Iranian Football Federation, according to Reuters, report that thousands of fans had their tickets confiscated; before that, the US dominated this Iranian players and employees should from Mexico to the US on days the team has matches on American soil.

Iran is the most visible example, but it is far from the only one. The head of the Palestinian Football Association was refused to enter in the US, where fans are streaming in Morocco They have been denied visas, and many are losing money for travel.

“For some countries in the Middle East, although they can’t really be stopped, they are facing a long hill to climb to get the country,” said Talib Visram, an independent journalist who has been reporting on this year’s World Cup through his “America’s Cup”, where he has spent several months interviewing experts and following the progress of the tournament.

“Supporters from countries like Jordan—one of the first to appear—had to apply for licenses many months ago. more than 40 percent,” he adds.

Similar challenges have arisen across Africa. Fans to Ivory Coast and Senegal faced a visa denial, while a Somali lawyer with a valid US visa refused to enter when they arrived in Miami, confirming that their admission does not guarantee admission to the border.

In addition to visa barriers, fans from the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Tunisia, and Algeria also faced the possibility of US bonds. up to $15,000 go into the race. In May, the State Department lifted the ban on foreign tourists coming to the country for the World Cup, unless they purchase valid tickets and apply for FIFA’s Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS) by April 15. it probably won’t help many fans.

What lies behind these results is a complex system. Although obtaining a US visa is the same for all applicants, the State Department’s guidance states that applicants may undergo screening and evaluation, including review. social networks and online activities. Sometimes they are pushed inside administrative dutiesan open security review that can last weeks or months without a clear timeline. It’s been put on it biometric checks at the visa and border level, which may include fingerprinting and facial recognition technologies, which may cause additional delays or lead to additional screening even for those with valid visas.

“We’ve seen examples of visa processing algorithms, automation, all kinds of decisions made by foreign intelligence, and that’s changing the way people enter countries,” said Petra Molnar, a lawyer and anthropologist at the Refugee Law Lab at Toronto’s York University who specializes in border crossing technology. “It’s also changing the flow of immigration, detention, and deportation.”