Palestine FA officials denied Canada entry before FIFA Congress

Three senior Palestinian Football Association (PFA) officials have been denied entry to Canada ahead of FIFA’s annual Congress in Vancouver on April 30, prompting the association to ask FIFA to intervene with Canadian immigration authorities.The refusals land as FIFA and host governments continue to insist that teams, officials and supporters will be able to travel freely for the 48-team FIFA World Cup, which begins on June 11 in Mexico City and will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico.The PFA said the rejected visa applications cover its president Jibril Rajoub, its general secretary and its head of legal affairs, limiting the association’s ability to attend what officials view as an informal kick-off to the tournament cycle.An Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson declined to comment on individual cases and pointed to standard decision-making criteria.“Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis based on the information presented by the applicant. All clients who submit an application to IRCC are subject to comply with eligibility and admissibility requirements, as part of the process, regardless of their nationality. All applicants receive thorough correspondence from IRCC regarding the decision on their application.”The PFA had also planned to use the Congress to raise its long-running dispute over Israeli clubs playing competitive matches in what it says is occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank, an issue with reputational and governance implications for FIFA’s competition integrity and compliance processes.After a PFA submission to Congress in 2024, FIFA opened an investigation into the claims and published a report in March that concluded it would take no action, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under public international law.Rajoub had been expected to respond to the report in Vancouver, with the possibility of a further challenge being taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, according to officials familiar with the PFA’s planning.The visa denials also intersect with broader concerns about entry rules and restrictions during the World Cup, particularly for certain nationalities and for matches staged in multiple jurisdictions with different immigration regimes.The PFA case has added momentum to questions already circulating in football governance circles about consistency of access across North America, given existing US travel restrictions that affect some World Cup qualifying nations in different ways.FIFA president Gianni Infantino has repeatedly argued that the tournament will remain open to teams and supporters, and has sought to dampen fears about travel barriers.“I think it’s important to clarify this. There is a lot of misconception out there. Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that.”Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East expressed their outrage and stated: "We are outraged to learn that Canada has denied entry to officials from the Palestine Football Association ahead of FIFA pre-World Cup meetings in Vancouver. "This is despite Canada’s host role and its recognition of the State of Palestine. Canada must reverse this arbitrary and discriminatory ban."FIFA has not publicly detailed any intervention with Canadian authorities, and there has been no confirmation that the three PFA officials will be able to secure alternative entry arrangements before Congress.