Wanda Tima Warns Haiti Fans May Stay Away From Scotland Match — Bbc Football Scotland

football scotland opens with Haiti facing Scotland in just over a month's time, but Haitian leaders say the crowd could be tilted badly against them in Boston. Wanda Tima said fans are afraid to gather in large groups because they fear ICE, leaving Haiti's first World Cup in 52 years at risk of arriving without much of a home support.

Wanda Tima on Haitian fear

Tima, the chief executive of the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals, said the uncertainty has already chilled interest around the tournament. "The uncertainty makes it hard for our fans here to get excited about the World Cup."

She added that the fear is not abstract. "Our fans are afraid to gather in large groups because Haitians are petrified of ICE." Another line from her drew a sharper picture of the mood among supporters in the USA: "Being a Haitian in America right now is pretty frightening."

Gillette Stadium crowd balance

Haiti and Scotland are due to meet at Boston's 65,000-capacity Gillette Stadium, where Haitian leaders fear Scotland could have the vast majority of the crowd. If that happens, the opener would become a test of how much support Haiti can generate away from home when the team most needs it.

The scale of the concern is made larger by Haiti's footprint in the USA. Around one million Haitians are estimated to be living there, yet supporters are banned from getting visas for the World Cup after a decision by President Donald Trump's administration. With that restriction in place, the match in Boston could end up sounding far more like a Scotland home game.

Visa ban and appeal

Ruthzee Louijeune, the Boston city councillor and Haitian American, said the problem goes beyond one stadium. "Fans won't go to the games because of xenophobic immigration policies." She said she had personally called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to speak with Trump and allow supporters to attend safely.

Yvon Severe, a Haitian Football Federation committee member, said the federation is still trying to find a route that would let at least some supporters travel for the matches. "We continue to look for a way that would allow at least some of our supporters to go to the World Cup matches." He also said, "The question of visas is up to the political orientation of the president and the administration in the USA."

That leaves Haiti with a difficult backdrop for only their second appearance at the World Cup Finals, 52 years after their first. Severe still pointed back to the tournament's wider pull: "But football unites the world and it’s a party that matters to all the whole world."