By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Thomas Teye Partey is set to miss Ghana’s opening Group L FIFA World Cup encounter against Panama after a Canadian court dismissed his visa appeal on Tuesday.
According to the ruling delivered by Justice Roger R. Lafrenière, the court declined to expedite the matter or compel immigration authorities to reconsider their decision before Ghana’s World Cup fixtures.
The judge held that Partey failed to establish a “serious issue” with the original refusal and did not meet the legal threshold required for extraordinary relief.
The ruling noted that “Canadian authorities found Partey inadmissible under section 36(1)(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which permits officials to deny entry where there are reasonable grounds to believe a foreign national committed acts that would amount to serious criminal offenses in Canada, even without a conviction,” part of the ruling read.
Justice Lafrenière further stated that the Ghanaian national had been put on notice about concerns arising from the multiple rape and sexual assault charges he faces in the United Kingdom but failed to sufficiently address those concerns during the visa process.
“The fact that the applicant has not been convicted… is irrelevant to the analysis under paragraph 36(1)(c) of the IRPA,” added the ruling.
The decision means Partey remains unable to enter Canada at this stage, placing his participation in Ghana’s remaining matches in further doubt unless relief is subsequently granted through the reconsideration or temporary resident permit (TRP) process.
The Canadian government last week refused a visa for Partey, 33, after which his lawyers launched a last-minute appeal to the Federal Court in Ottawa, seeking to overturn the decision.
Partey is among the 26-man Ghana squad named by Carlos Queiroz for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The West Africans are scheduled to play against Panama on June 17 before taking on England and Croatia. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
