Athletes go ‘missing’ after Commonwealth Games

Athletes were expected to leave the Games in line with the Glasgow 2026 length of stay policy, with Games accommodation ending two nights after each athlete’s sport had concluded.

Glasgow 2026 spokeswoman Sophie Ashcroft said: “Over the last two weeks, we have welcomed 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth to Glasgow.

“As athletes and support staff leave the city, we continue to work closely with wider partners – including Police Scotland, Border Force and UK Visas & Immigration – to ensure a safe and secure conclusion to the Games.”

In 2014 two Ugandan rugby players disappeared after the contest ended and were later found playing rugby in Cardiff for a small team.

One of the players, Philip Pariyo, was later jailed for four and a half years after raping a woman in Cardiff.

The Home Office is understood to carry out enhanced checks on people ahead of major sporting events such as the Games, while working with event sponsors to strengthen controls on who can enter the UK for such events.

Any future asylum claims would be considered on their individual merits, with applications against the facts of the case and available evidence.

The Games wrapped up on Sunday after 11 days of competition.

Organisers said the streamlined format, which featured 10 sports across four locations in Glasgow, had “saved and reinvented” the competition after its future was placed in doubt when original hosts Victoria pulled out.