‘I FELT LIKE A CRIMINAL’

Yorke, the holder of a diplomatic passport, was in Qatar performing commentary duties for BeIN Sports TV for Thursday’s Europa League match featuring Manchester United against St Etienne. The 45-year-old is a Manchester United legend and has been a club ambassador for quite some time. Like many TT nationals abroad, though, Yorke loves his Carnival and was coming home for the “Greatest Show on Earth” but was unable to do so as his flight to this country was via Miami. Surprisingly, a visit to Iran in 2015, barred him from entering the United States on Wednesday.

Yorke’s trip to the Middle East in 2015, lasted less than 24 hours, where he played a charity match alongside other football legends such as Portugal’s Luis Figo, Brazilian Roberto Carlos and Netherlands’ Edgar Davids.

Yorke, recounting the horror incident to British tabloid The Sun yesterday, said: “I couldn’t quite believe what was happening. I have lost count of the number of times I have been to America, I love the country, yet I was being made to feel like a criminal. I had bought my ticket and checked in and was about to get on the flight when I was stopped by two officials.

“I thought, ‘what is happening here?’ They told me there was a visa problem and a red flag had come up against my name because of an Iranian stamp in my passport.” Yorke added, “The two officials told me if I got on the flight I would simply be deported back to Qatar once I arrived in the States. I tried to explain I didn’t even live in Qatar and was just trying to get to my home in the Caribbean.” Yorke’s predicament made world news yesterday after fellow Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys tweeted, “Well done Donald Trump, Man U ambassador Dwight Yorke denied transit access to Miami cause (sic) he has Iranian stamp in passport #crazy.” The tweet resulted in local and international media reporting that the controversial Trump “Muslim ban” on persons from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Sudan and Yemen had resulted in the Tobago- born global sporting icon being blocked. The ban, which has been overturned by several US courts, was not the law that affected Yorke’s travel itinerary but rather one passed under former US President Barack Obama. The rules, which took effect on January 21, 2016, create new visa requirements for dual nationals and anyone who has travelled to Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan in the last five years.

The new rules, phased in under an anti- terrorism law passed in December 2015, are designed to prevent persons radicalised abroad from entering the US. Yorke has visited this country several times in the last 12 months, most recently in September, but it is unclear whether he passed through the US.

US border control has come under tremendous scrutiny since Trump’s travel ban with existing laws being strictly enforced.

The former TT football captain was forced to buy a ticket to England where he reportedly spent the night before booking a flight direct to Trinidad and Tobago yesterday morning. “All I was doing was trying to get home for the build up to the Carnival season.

I have never had anything like this happen before. I have travelled the world for years as a footballer and ambassador for Manchester United and my country without any problems. I am stunned at what has happened,” he said.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, commenting on the situation yesterday, told Newsday: “We are clarifying the position. The Government considers Dwight Yorke to be be an ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago. He should be the recipient of a diplomatic passport to address any issue of his status with respect to Trinidad and Tobago.

The present situation with Yorke involves some personal issues and the full facts must be found out.”