Somali World Cup referee barred from US over 'links to suspected terror group members', White House reveals

The Somalian Fifa referee who was barred from the US had his entry refused over "links to suspected members of terror organisations", the White House has said.

Omar Artan had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at the World Cup.

But he was stopped at the border while trying to enter the US - sparking a major international outcry.

Now, an American official said "derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations" was found after a search by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The CBP had initially said in a statement that a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns.

An administration official later said CBP officials had determined that Artan was a threat to national security.

"Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered," the official said in comments shared with reporters on condition of anonymity.

That made Artan ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the official added.

"President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country, full stop," they vowed.

More to follow...