Ghanaian protest against Canada after Thomas Partey's visa refusal

Written by: Ayman Ragab

The Ghanaian government on Saturday lodged a formal protest over Canada's refusal to grant a visa to Thomas Partey, who is on trial in the United Kingdom for rape, to participate in the World Cup.

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzieto Abelaqua said in a statement that his country objects to the «arbitrary and extremely unfair decision» to reject Partey’s visa application, noting that he is a key player in the Ghanaian national first team.

Official note of protest to Canada

The minister added that Ghana had sent a formal note of protest to Canada, one of the host countries for the tournament along with the United States and Mexico.

He explained that the memorandum also asked Canada to reconsider its decision, stressing that relying on accusations that have not been proven in court raises questions about fairness and proportionality in decision-making.

Former Arsenal and current Villarreal player Partey (33) will not be able to travel to Toronto, where Ghana will begin their World Cup campaign against Panama on the 17th of this month.

The Ghanaian national team is holding its training camp in Boston, inside an American university.

Partey is expected to be available for the next two matches against England and Croatia, which will be held in the United States.

The player denies the accusations against him.

Barty had pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations made by four women between 2020 and 2022.

The player is scheduled to appear in court next year.

In the same context, FIFA confirmed that Partey will not be able to travel from the Ghanaian national team's headquarters in Boston to Canada to play the match against Panama.

The union clarified that it is not involved in the immigration procedures of host countries, including deciding on visa applications.

Ghana pledged to explore all available diplomatic and legal avenues under Canadian and international law to ensure a fair and thorough examination of the case, and appealed to Ottawa to reverse its decision in the interest of justice and adherence to the principles of common law.

Canada: Citizen safety is a top priority

For its part, the Canadian Immigration Department stated that it was unable to provide details regarding individual cases, stressing that the safety of citizens is its top priority.

The Canadian Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship also clarified that its officials apply the rules consistently and without exception, regardless of nationality, status or role in the tournament.

In contrast, the US authorities confirmed that they were aware of the case before the court, but pointed out that Barty had not been convicted of any crime, and therefore he was allowed to enter the United States after obtaining an entry visa.