Haiti fans may be barred from attending next summer's World Cup in the United States despite the national team qualifying for the tournament for only the second time in history. The Caribbean nation secured its place on Tuesday night by topping a qualifying group that included Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
However, a travel ban implemented by US President Donald Trump in June has placed Haiti on a list of 12 countries whose nationals are prohibited from entering the US, both as immigrants and non-immigrants. The order, titled 'Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats', cites high visa overstay rates and national security concerns.
An exemption within the order allows athletes and team support staff for major sporting events like the World Cup, meaning the Haitian squad—including Wolves' Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Burnley's Hannes Delcroix—can compete. But no such provision has been made for fans, raising questions about their ability to travel to the US for the tournament.
In 2017, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated there would be 'no World Cup' if supporters of any team could not access the host country. Speaking earlier this year, he added, 'America will welcome the world. Everyone who wants to come here to enjoy, to have fun and to celebrate the game will be able to do that.'
An estimated 852,000 Haitian immigrants currently reside in the US, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, with over half in Florida. Iran is the only other qualified nation whose nationals remain on the travel ban list.
