Scotland vs Haiti: fans too scared to watch the World Cup | Firsthand

The Telegraph The Telegraph — 6min

On Saturday, Haiti begin their first World Cup tournament in 52 years, with a game against Scotland.

The stadium will be awash with tartan.

But despite Boston being home to 100,000 Haitians, their flag with a palm tree at the centre surrounded by all manner of weaponry, will be largely absent.

Haitians are banned from travelling to the US to watch their team. “It’s cruel, it’s racist and it’s xenophobic,” says Ruthzee Louijeune, the first Haitian-American elected to Boston City Council.

In this most politicised of World Cups, fans from three other countries - Iran, Senegal and Ivory Coast - are also prevented from entering the US.

But the Haitians already living here won’t be coming either.

They are too scared to attend a World Cup in their own backyard.

Many won’t even gather at watch parties or in local bars.

These are dangerous times and the fear of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers carrying out Donald Trump’s deportation plan is all too chilling.

#worldcup #trump #documentary
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