Thomas Partey remains stranded at the Black Stars’ base camp in the United States after Canadian authorities upheld his Canada entry ban due to ongoing prosecution in the UK, Yankee Scores reports.
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss his country’s World Cup opening match due to making a statement to Canadian authorities stating that he has never been charged with a crime, which was later revealed as being untrue.
Yankee had reported that the 33-year-old Partey was denied entry into Canada prior to Wednesday’s match in Toronto as he is facing ongoing criminal prosecution in the UK.
Ghana’s Appeal Rejected
Ghana requested permission to allow the midfielder to enter Canada temporarily to participate in the tournament. However, the court rejected the application filed in the Federal Court of Canada, Ottawa.
The court observed, “No serious issue can be raised in relation to the underlying refusal” of the visa and stated that Partey failed to mention he is facing several criminal charges in the UK over sexual violence allegations.
Partey’s Charges in the UK
Partey, who faces charges over allegations by four different women, pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one of sexual assault committed in 2020 and 2022.
Canada Justifies Partey’s Entry Ban
Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told the BBC, “Canada’s immigration policy does not bend for any event.”
“Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies.’
The court justified its decision to uphold the entry ban noting that: “having reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed is sufficient” and a conviction is not required “to find the applicant inadmissible”.
In a statement, US customs and border protection (CBP) said: “The US is aware of the pending court case for Mr Partey. However, at this time, he has not been convicted of a crime and was admitted to the United States after being issued a visa.
