Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, has urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to allow the mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha to enter the country and watch her son play at the World Cup.
Ana Candida Evora was unable to travel to see her son's heroic performance in a goalless draw with Spain due to the cost of a bond payment required for a visa to enter the United States.
In January, Cape Verde was added to a list of dozens of countries whose citizens must post bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the U.S., under regulations introduced by the Trump regime to curb visa overstays.
Last month, Washington announced it was dropping the requirement for World Cup ticket holders, saying it wanted to facilitate “legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup tournament.” By that point, however, the high costs had already caused Evora to rule out making the 6,400-kilometer trip to Atlanta.
“I would have loved to travel and watch the match, but it was not possible,” she said.
Her inability to visit the U.S. to witness her son's World Cup heroics sparked a strong reaction. “No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history,” Jeffries said on social media. “I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to do everything in his power to ensure that she can attend the next match on Sunday.”
A State Department official said there was no record of Evora applying for a visa but noted that players' relatives are eligible for visa bond waivers. The official said Washington was “actively reaching out to this player's family to assist with visa services.”
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (real name Josimar Dias) stunned the world by shutting out Spain's formidable attack in the island nation's World Cup debut on Monday, breaking down in tears at full-time. His emotions stemmed from his mother's inability to travel due to visa issues.
“Also, my mum, she didn't manage to be here because of the visa. The money for the visa, we didn't manage on time, and I would like her to be here,” he said.
The early stages of the tournament have been plagued by immigration issues, with Somali referee Omar Artan banned from entering the U.S. to officiate matches. Several Iranian backroom staff were also denied U.S. visas, with strict travel requirements placed on the squad.
For smaller nations at the World Cup, high costs of travel, accommodation, and tickets are also a problem, said Mario Semedo, president of the Cape Verde national football federation. “It is not easy for a Cape Verdean resident to travel to a World Cup. There are certainly ways to manage immigration concerns while also creating conditions that allow supporters to travel,” he told Reuters.
Source: www.aljazeera.com