Human rights campaign group Amnesty International warned on Monday that certain fans travelling to the United States, Mexico and Canada for the World Cup face serious risks from immigration and customs officers (ICE) as well as border guards (CBP).
Issued on: 30/03/2026 - RFI
A federal agent watches as police officers respond to a protest at a warehouse purchased by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for use as a detention center, in Salt Lake City, Utah, US 18 March, 2026. REUTERS - Jim Urquhart
By: Paul Myers
In the report Humanity Must Win: defending rights, tackling repression at the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Amnesty says neither World Cup organisers Fifa nor the US authorities have provided any guarantees that supporters will be safe from ethnic profiling, indiscriminate raids, unlawful detention and deportation.
"None of the three US draft host city human rights plans so far published provide any mention of how people will be protected from such threats," the report says.
"Indeed, the acting director of Ice has told [US] Congress that the agency will be 'a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.'"
In June 2018, the US, Mexico and Canada beat off Morocco's bid to stage the 2026 World Cup.
The tournament will start on 11 June with a match between Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Two other venues in Mexico will be used along with Vancouver and Toronto in Canada and 11 in the US including the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford which will host the final on 19 July. Some 6.5 million fans from across the globe are expected to attend the tournament.
Since Fifa awarded co-hosting rights, the administration of Donald Trump has taken power in the US and fulfilled election campaign pledges to crackdown on illegal immigration.
The Amnesty report says analysis of official government data conducted by the New York Times estimates that ICE and CBP deported more than 500,000 people in 2025 – Trump's first year as president – including 230,000 arrested inside the US and 270,000 at the border.
"As of 19 March 2026, Ice had also signed 1,544 287(g) agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, including in World Cup host cities Dallas, Houston and Miami, deputising their officers to enforce immigration law and allowing for local jails to be used for immigration detention," the Amnesty report adds.
"Amnesty International has also documented immigration detention conditions in the Krome North Service Processing Center and the Everglades Detention Facility – also known as "Alligator Alcatraz" – within 20 and 50 miles of Fifa’s Miami headquarters, respectively."
The Amnesty report also highlights the US government's attack on the rights of LGBTQI+ people, particularly in relation to transgender and gender-diverse people.
Anti-discrimination protocol
The England LGBTQI+ fans’ group and a network of European LGBTQI+ fans’ groups say they will not have a visible presence at matches in the US.
Trans youth also face persistent discrimination in Canada, says the report, while Mexico is considered to be the second most dangerous country in the world for transgender people, with 59 transfemicides recorded in 2024.
"In football, homophobic chanting has also been a persistent problem in matches involving the Mexican, US and Canadian national teams, leading to match suspensions and sanctions imposed by FIFA on the Mexican Football Federation," the report says.
By: Paul Myers
In the report Humanity Must Win: defending rights, tackling repression at the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Amnesty says neither World Cup organisers Fifa nor the US authorities have provided any guarantees that supporters will be safe from ethnic profiling, indiscriminate raids, unlawful detention and deportation.
"None of the three US draft host city human rights plans so far published provide any mention of how people will be protected from such threats," the report says.
"Indeed, the acting director of Ice has told [US] Congress that the agency will be 'a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.'"
In June 2018, the US, Mexico and Canada beat off Morocco's bid to stage the 2026 World Cup.
The tournament will start on 11 June with a match between Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Two other venues in Mexico will be used along with Vancouver and Toronto in Canada and 11 in the US including the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford which will host the final on 19 July. Some 6.5 million fans from across the globe are expected to attend the tournament.
Since Fifa awarded co-hosting rights, the administration of Donald Trump has taken power in the US and fulfilled election campaign pledges to crackdown on illegal immigration.
The Amnesty report says analysis of official government data conducted by the New York Times estimates that ICE and CBP deported more than 500,000 people in 2025 – Trump's first year as president – including 230,000 arrested inside the US and 270,000 at the border.
"As of 19 March 2026, Ice had also signed 1,544 287(g) agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, including in World Cup host cities Dallas, Houston and Miami, deputising their officers to enforce immigration law and allowing for local jails to be used for immigration detention," the Amnesty report adds.
"Amnesty International has also documented immigration detention conditions in the Krome North Service Processing Center and the Everglades Detention Facility – also known as "Alligator Alcatraz" – within 20 and 50 miles of Fifa’s Miami headquarters, respectively."
The Amnesty report also highlights the US government's attack on the rights of LGBTQI+ people, particularly in relation to transgender and gender-diverse people.
Anti-discrimination protocol
The England LGBTQI+ fans’ group and a network of European LGBTQI+ fans’ groups say they will not have a visible presence at matches in the US.
Trans youth also face persistent discrimination in Canada, says the report, while Mexico is considered to be the second most dangerous country in the world for transgender people, with 59 transfemicides recorded in 2024.
"In football, homophobic chanting has also been a persistent problem in matches involving the Mexican, US and Canadian national teams, leading to match suspensions and sanctions imposed by FIFA on the Mexican Football Federation," the report says.
Amnesty says it wants authorities to take effective measures to protect LGBTQI+ people from discrimination, harassment and abuse via anti-discrimination campaigns and proper use of Fifa’s anti-discrimination protocol during matches.
It also wants Fifa, governments and host cities to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly inside and outside World Cup venues during the tournament.
As well as calling for an end to indiscriminate raids, ethnic profiling, arbitrary arrests, mass detention and unlawful deportations in the US, Amnesty says it wants public guarantees that World Cup events, venues and gatherings will not be targeted for immigration enforcement.
It also says organisers should make sure host city human rights plans are updated and tightened up to provide comprehensive protections for fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities.
"With just weeks to go until kick-off, Fifa's claim that "Football Unites the World" sits in stark contrast to the divisive and repressive practices of governments who host its flagship tournament," the report says,
"This World Cup is very far from the "medium risk" tournament that Fifa once judged it to be, and urgent efforts are needed to bridge the growing gap between the tournament’s original promise and today’s reality."
(with newswires)
No comments:
Post a Comment