{"id":13875,"date":"2026-06-10T16:51:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13875"},"modified":"2026-06-10T16:51:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:51:43","slug":"after-troubled-world-cup-lead-in-un-human-rights-chief-urges-rethink-of-us-immigration-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13875","title":{"rendered":"After troubled World Cup lead-in, UN human rights chief urges \u2018rethink\u2019 of US immigration policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By GRAHAM DUNBAR, AP Sports Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

GENEVA (AP) \u2014 The United Nations\u2019 top human rights official called Wednesday for a \u201cmassive rethink\u201d of immigration policies especially in the United States around the World Cup.<\/p>

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Issues around \u201cracial profiling, surveillance and immigration enforcement\u201d were cited by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk even before the 48-nation, 39-day tournament starts Thursday.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s team was moved from a training camp in Arizona to Mexico, some Iranian officials were denied U.S. entry visas, Africa\u2019s top referee from Somalia was refused entry in Miami and images circulated of a Senegal player being frisked by a security guard on airport tarmac.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have seen some of the scenes,\u201d T\u00fcrk told reporters at a briefing at the U.N.\u2019s human rights agency headquarters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that the issues around racial profiling, around surveillance, around immigration enforcement are not going to affect this World Cup in the way that they have already done,\u201d the Austrian lawyer said.<\/p>\n

The U.S. is hosting most of the 104 games in a shared project with Canada and Mexico, though it is only the policies of federal agencies under U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s administration that have drawn criticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really hope that there is a massive rethink of how immigration enforcement is respecting human rights and human dignity,\u201d T\u00fcrk said, \u201cand that especially for the World Cup there is a rethink of the policies that we are unfortunately seeing prevailing especially in the U.S. at the moment.\u201d<\/p>

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T\u00fcrk said global sports should be \u201cwhere the world comes together in unity and in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is clear that the environment in which mega sport events including the World Cup take place need to provide a dignified and safe environment, for the teams that compete but also for the supporters, for the whole society and frankly for the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>

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Fans from countries like Morocco and Scotland, who spent thousands of dollars on flights, hotels and tickets for the most expensive World Cup ever, have reported having their travel documents denied or revoked just days before they were due to travel.<\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s for nations wanting to host this World Cup stated visa processing \u201cmust be applied in a non-discriminatory manner,\u201d with the caveat it must not \u201cadversely affect the national immigration and security standards.\u201d<\/p>

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