In light of the violence in Minnesota and the tightening of U.S. visa rules, Green Party members of the German federal government are calling for protective measures for German football fans attending the World Cup this summer. Green human‑rights spokesman Boris Mijatovic told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that the new visa restrictions and the increasingly hard‑line approach of U.S. security and immigration authorities have made fans’ concerns legitimate. He urged the federal government to present a comprehensive strategy to safeguard German fans and officials during travel and stay at the tournament, including clear travel and safety warnings, accessible consular help, transparent information, and reliable agreements with U.S. authorities.
Left‑wing faction leader Sören Pellmann also expressed worry. He noted that U.S. officials sometimes allow people to enter the country only to later detain them, citing recent cases of American citizens being deported and kept in detention facilities for months. “A passport offers no protection” he said. “I can’t say with peace of mind that a trip is safe, and all who travel should be concerned”.
Mijatovic also mentioned a political boycott as part of a broader strategy against President Trump. “The absence of German government representatives at the World Cup matches in the U.S. could be part of that strategy” he said.
The SPD faction, despite its concerns about Trump’s policies, opposed any boycott. Sports policy spokesperson Stephan Mayer explained that a summer World‑Cup boycott would not force a fundamental change in U.S. policy. “Such a step would mainly affect players and millions of fans eager for the event. There are many other instruments at the disposal of politics to criticize the Trump administration-boycotting the World Cup is undoubtedly not one of them”.
