Ghana soccer player Thomas Partey arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London on April 13.TOBY SHEPHEARD/AFP/Getty Images
A Federal Court judge has dismissed Thomas Partey’s bid for emergency relief after Canada denied the Ghana midfielder entry for the FIFA World Cup.
Justice Roger Lafrenière, who heard the application Tuesday morning, rejected Partey’s request to temporarily override Canada’s decision and allow him to travel to Toronto for Ghana’s opening match against Panama on Wednesday.
Partey, 33, remains in the United States with the Ghana team after being found inadmissible to Canada.
The former Arsenal player is awaiting trial next year in England on seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty.
Lafrenière said Partey failed to show grounds for emergency relief and found the balance of convenience favoured maintaining Canada’s immigration rules.
Before the decision was released, Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz said his team was prepared to move forward without Partey in the lineup.
“My business, it is to play with the cards that I have in front of me,” Queiroz said. “We are waiting for a decision.”
Canada has said immigration decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and that hosting the World Cup does not change the country’s immigration laws.
Ghana’s government has called the decision “extremely unfair” and vowed to challenge it through the courts.
“No particular comments about that,” said Queiroz when asked about Canada’s initial decision. “I think it’s not necessary to make comments.
“The story is open, the freedom of speech is open, so to add more comments about issues that (are not) my business.”
Partey had sought an order permitting his temporary entry into Canada to play for his country pending the final determination of his case.
“The public interest weighs in favour of the order,” Partey’s lawyer, Mackeda Bramwell, said in a written submission to the court. “Canada is a host nation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has an interest in the orderly participation of accredited national-team athletes.”
In an affidavit filed with the court, Partey said he would remain under the continuous supervision of the Ghana Football Association and team officials while in Canada and would leave the country in accordance with the tournament schedule.
“I have not been convicted of any offence. I have pleaded not guilty, and I remain presumed innocent,” Partey said.
In his ruling, Lafrenière said immigration officials were entitled to consider the charges Partey faces in England when deciding whether he could enter Canada.
He also rejected arguments that Partey could not be denied entry because he has not been convicted and said the public interest favoured maintaining Canada’s immigration rules.
While declining to intervene, the justice urged immigration officials to quickly consider Partey’s outstanding requests for reconsideration and a temporary resident permit.
Queiroz cited a presumption of innocence for Partey when he included the player in his World Cup squad.
Ghana’s base camp for the World Cup is in Smithfield, R.I. Partey is still eligible to play June 23 when Ghana faces England in Massachusetts. Ghana concludes group play June 27 against Croatia in Philadelphia.