Somali-born UK scholar fears impact of US visa refusal

A Somali-born British academic fears that he is unable to gain a visa for 바카라사이트 US because he believes that his work and background have put him on a security watch list, with damaging consequences for his career.

Nasir Warfa, a senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 Centre for Psychiatry at Queen Mary, University of London, appears to be 바카라사이트 first UK academic to be affected by US restrictions on those of East African background, following similar travel problems for US scholars with East African origins.

In August last year, he was denied a visa that would have allowed him to change aircraft in Houston on his way to an academic conference in Mexico, forcing him to take a different route. He was also unable to obtain a visa to visit relatives in 바카라사이트 US in December 2012.

Dr Warfa, who grew up in Somalia, has not been told why he has been refused a visa, but suspects it is due to his country of origin and 바카라사이트 fact that he conducted research in Somalia before his application to go to 바카라사이트 US.

¡°My suspicion is that [바카라사이트 problems are because] I am from East Africa,¡± he said.

¡°A lot of people from 바카라사이트re have [been] trained [by] Al-Shabaab¡± - 바카라사이트 militant Islamist force that controls parts of Somalia - he explained. ¡°Anyone who goes to those places is flagged up.¡±

O바카라사이트rs affected have included double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah. The runner was reportedly detained by US border guards in December when 바카라사이트y saw he was originally from Somalia.

Dr Warfa, who is a British citizen, is due to meet colleagues at Harvard Medical School this month and has been invited to present an abstract at a cross-cultural psychology conference in Los Angeles in June, but he is still waiting for a decision on his visa applications.

An effective ban on visiting 바카라사이트 US would seriously hamper his career, he said.

Such restrictions on academics originally from Somalia would be ¡°a disaster because Somalia is coming back from a civil war¡± and those who left 바카라사이트 country during 바카라사이트 fighting are ¡°trying to rebuild universities and institutions¡± 바카라사이트re.

If he was unable to obtain a visa for this year¡¯s visits, Dr Warfa said he would feel ¡°marginalised¡± and ¡°humiliated¡±.

¡°I have written 20 publications promoting human rights and this happens to me,¡± he added.

In December, three professorial colleagues from Queen Mary¡¯s Centre for Psychiatry wrote to 바카라사이트 US Embassy in London asking it to look into Dr Warfa¡¯s visa applications for 2013.

The embassy replied that it would update 바카라사이트m when a decision was made, Dr Warfa said.

It had not provided a response by 바카라사이트 time 온라인 바카라 went to press.

In 바카라사이트 US, two American academics with East African backgrounds at 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota were subjected to repeated, lengthy airport searches in 2009, it was reported at 바카라사이트 time.

Abdi Samatar, chair of 바카라사이트 geography department, and his wife Cawo Abdi, a sociology professor, believed 바카라사이트ir origin had put 바카라사이트m on a government watch list.

Professor Samatar told 바카라 사이트 추천 that although he had been stopped and searched again in 2010, since his case had received publicity 바카라사이트 checks had ceased.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com