Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke denied entry to the United States

Yorke, who works as an ambassador for his former club, was travelling on personal business on the occasion in question

Mark Critchley
Friday 17 February 2017 18:47 GMT
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Dwight Yorke scored 65 goals in 147 appearances for Manchester United
Dwight Yorke scored 65 goals in 147 appearances for Manchester United

Dwight Yorke, the former Manchester United striker, was denied entry to the United States as he ‘had an Iranian stamp on his passport’.

The 45-year-old was travelling to his home country of Trinidad and Tobago via the US when the incident occurred on Friday.

Yorke works as an ambassador for United, representing his former club in charity matches and commercial events, but the journey in question was conducted while he was on personal business.

Yorke has since told The Sun that he was barred from entering the US due to an Iranian stamp on his passport, having played in a charity match in Tehran in 2015.

The incident came to light after a tweet by Richard Keys, the beIN Sports presenter. Yorke occasionally appears alongside Keys on the Dubai-based network’s coverage of European football.

Keys tweeted: “Well done @realDonaldTrump. Man U ambassador Dwight Yorke denied transit access to Miami cause he has Iranian stamp in passport.”

The tweet suggested that Yorke had fallen victim to President Donald Trump’s so-called 'travel ban', which prohibits non-American residents of seven Muslim-majority countries – Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – from entering the US.

However, Yorke is more likely to have been affected by legislation which pre-dates Trump's administration.

The country's 'Visa Waiver Program', which allows citizens of certain nations to enter the US without a visa, was amended by Obama administration in January 2016 to exclude those who had travelled to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan within the previous five years.

Those who have travelled to one of the countries in question are required to acquire a visa from a US embassy, regardless of their nationality.

Trump’s controversial ‘travel ban’, meanwhile, was temporarily suspended by a federal judge earlier this month.

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