Thomas Partey Denied Canada Entry for FIFA World Cup Qualifier Match

A Canadian Federal High Court upheld a visa refusal for Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, barring him from entering the country for a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The visa issues are linked to ongoing criminal proceedings against him in the UK.

Court Upholds Visa Refusal

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has been denied entry into Canada after a Federal High Court upheld the decision refusing him entry ahead of Ghana's opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Panama on Wednesday (local time), according to ESPN.

The ruling came on Tuesday after Partey's legal team appealed the visa refusal that prevented the Ghana midfielder from travelling to Toronto with the rest of the squad. Partey's visa complications stem from ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK, where he faces seven rape charges and one count of sexual assault linked to allegations made by four women between 2020 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with the trial scheduled to take place later this year.

Ghana Government Protests Decision

Earlier, Ghana's government on June 13 described Canada's decision to refuse a visa to Partey as "extremely unfair," according to a Reuters report. While acknowledging Canada's right to enforce its immigration laws, Ghana government argued that basing the visa refusal on unproven allegations--without any court ruling--raises serious concerns about fairness and proportionality.

"The Government of the Republic of Ghana expresses strong reservations following the high-handed and extremely unfair decision by Canada. While respecting Canada's sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws, Ghana considers that reliance on unproven charges in the absence of a judicial determination raises fundamental questions of fairness and proportionality," the statement said.

Canada Cites Standard Immigration Procedures

A spokesperson for Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship department had earlier said the country applies its immigration laws consistently and added that all visa applications are assessed individually based on available information and applicable law.

"Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies," the spokesperson said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)