Mrs World UK banned US entry for Mrs World pageant

Leen Clive, the current Mrs UK World, has been preparing to represent the United Kingdom at the Mrs World pageant, which is scheduled to begin on 9th January, 2022. But, unfortunately, the US Embassy in London has denied her entry to the country under the Visa Waiver Program, while her husband Nigel Clive, and their six-month-old daughter Arabella, were both granted authorization to travel as part of the same online application process.

The 29-year-old believes the refusal could be related to her Syrian background. Expressing her disappointment to a source, Leen stated, “It feels hopeless in a way. I’ve tried to sort it out, and it just feels like it’s not happening. I’ve worked really hard for it for a full year, hard work, and effort, and it’s not only me; I’ve had a team behind me supporting it, and it feels like all that work has been wasted now. It’s not because of a proper reason. Sixty countries are eligible to go, and I’m the only one that’s not eligible. I’m British but coming from a certain background. It’s because of my Syrian background.”

Born in Damascus, Leen and her mother fled Syria and arrived in the UK in 2013. She was then granted British citizenship in August 2020. The diva, who is training away to become an NHS doctor, is also an ambassador for several charities and an interpreter for UNHCR, in addition to being a model and a presenter at Albanian TV.

The president and CEO of Mrs World pageant, Elaine Marmel, wrote to the embassy appealing to grant Leen a visa. She wrote, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Mrs Clive to compete at the Mrs World pageant, and this is a huge honour for the United Kingdom to have their delegate … represented at the most prestigious pageant in the world.”

For the moment, Leen awaits a reversal in the decision.