Denied US entry over suspected Al-Shabaab links, Somali referee returns home

Omar Artan, a Somali referee, landed back home on Wednesday after being denied entry to the United States due to suspected associations with the militant group Al-Shabaab.

Artan was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the 2026 World Cup finals, having been selected as one of the 52 referees for the tournament. He was also named the Confederation of African Football's Men's Referee of the Year in 2025.

On Monday, he was denied entry at Miami International Airport despite holding a single-entry US visa.

According to sources within the Trump administration, Artan was inspected and found to have associations with suspected members of terrorist organisations, making him ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Artan denied having any connections to such groups. However, US officials maintained that "President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country."

The incident comes after US President Donald Trump imposed a full entry ban in June 2025 on nationals from 12 countries under all visa categories, including Somalia.

Speaking to The New York Times, Artan said he underwent an 11-hour immigration interview, was detained for several hours, and was then placed on a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.

Before the 2025 World Cup draw, Trump also made remarks about Somalia, explicitly stating that Somali immigrants should "go back to where they came from" and that the US would "go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage to our country."

The referee was welcomed home at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Wednesday by representatives of the Somali Football Federation, government officials, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

"I'd like to thank the officials, ministers, MPs and everyone. I want to thank my country and people for their support," Artan said. "I promise you that I'll be officiating at the next World Cup. Somalia, everywhere, I'm letting you know."

The referee also urged Somali youth not to lose hope in their country. "Let's all defend Somalia's honour," he said.