British-born Muslim teacher is thrown off plane in Iceland by US official after he is refused entry to America on school trip to New York

• .Miah, 25, was travelling from Iceland to US with Llangatwg Comp School
• .Official told him he was unable to fly to New York, despite having a valid visa
• .Mr Miah was escorted to a 'horrendous' hotel where he stayed until he flew home
• .Neath Port Talbot council said incident was an 'unjustified act of discrimination'  

By Gareth Davies and Steph Cockroft for MailOnline

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Maths teacher Juhel Miah (pictured) was denied entry to the US while on a school trip to New York with students 

A Welsh Muslim teacher said he was made to feel like a 'criminal' when he was kicked off a US-bound flight in Iceland in front of dozens of shocked students without being given a reason.

Juhel Miah, 25, was due to fly to New York from Reykjavik with students from Llangatwg Comprehensive in Aberdulais, Neath Port Talbot, South Wales, when a US official escorted him off the plane in an 'unjustified act of discrimination'.

The maths teacher - who has a British passport and a valid visa for travel - was then forced to stay in a 'horrendous' hotel until school officials could book him another flight home.

The incident unfolded when Mr Miah was refused permission by the US authorities after being selected for a 'random security check.'

Just one week before the incident, a US appeals court upheld a decision to suspend an executive order by Donald Trump that banned Muslims from seven countries entering the country.  

Describing his ordeal, Mr Miah said he was already in his seat when the official approached him. 

'Everyone was looking at me,' he said. 'The teachers and kids were confused. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

'I was being escorted out. It made me feel like a criminal. I couldn’t speak, I was lost for words.

'My colleagues on the plane and all my kids were looking at me, they were all gobsmacked and all upset.'

Mr Miah said that, as soon as he had arrived at the airport, a woman at the check-in desk told the teacher, who is from Swansea, that he had been selected for a 'random security check'.

He was then taken to a room where two people carried out a thorough search, before giving him the all-clear to board his onward flight. 

But, when he was already on the plane, an official - who he says was American - approached Mr Miah and told him: 'I've just been informed that you can't board this plane.'

The teacher said he was then escorted to an area of the airport where he was reunited with his luggage. Officials then took him to a hotel, where he waited for two hours for a room.

'There were holes in the sheets, a dirty bag under the bed, the light wasn't working and only the lamp was working,' he said.

'I was so paranoid. My phone battery was dying so I went to my suitcase, and that's when I realised the padlock was missing. 

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Juhel Miah was kicked off the plane in Reykjavik. The flight was heading for New York, US

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Just one week before the incident, a US appeals court upheld a decision to suspend an executive order by Donald Trump (pictured) that banned Muslims from seven countries entering the country 

'I was so paranoid, I was scared, I didn't sleep or eat for two days.'  

Mr Miah said he visited both the US and British embassies in Reykjavik but claimed the phone numbers he was given did not work. He returned on a flight back to the UK a day later. 

Speaking about his ordeal today, Mr Miah said he believes he was kicked off the plane because of his religion in wake President Mr Trump's 'travel ban'.

He said: 'I was born in the UK and I've never been to the seven countries on the banned list - and my family has no connection to any of them.

'The only reason I can think why they wouldn't let me fly is my religion, because I'm a Muslim. I do not have dual citizenship and I do not have a criminal record - I am a teacher.' 

A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council said the trip continued as planned but the 39 pupils and colleagues were left 'shocked and distressed'. 

The council has now written to the US Embassy in London to express its dismay at Mr Miah being banned from travelling to the US for 'no satisfactory reason'.

They said Mr Miah attempted to speak to officials in Reykjavik after the incident but was also denied entry to the US Embassy building. 

The spokesman said: 'We are appalled by the treatment of Mr Miah and are demanding an explanation. 

'The matter has also been raised with our local member of parliament.

'No satisfactory reason has been provided for refusing entry to the United States - either at the airport in Iceland or subsequently at the US Embassy in Reykjavik.

'Mr Miah attempted to visit the embassy but was denied access to the building.

'Understandably he feels belittled and upset at what appears to be an unjustified act of discrimination.'

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Mr Miah works at Llangatwg Comprehensive, pictured, where he is a respected teacher

The school group had already been to Iceland and were heading on the second leg of their trip when the incident took place on February 16. The rest of the trip was due to return from New York last night. 

Neath Labour AM Jeremy Miles said he was 'appalled' to hear about the incident and said he would be raising the issue with the Welsh Government to ask them to make representations to Central Government.

Neath MP Christina Rees said: 'Mr Miah was subjected to a humiliating and distressing experience, not only preventing him from boarding his plane to New York or entering the US Embassy in Iceland, but also stranding him in a foreign country whilst his fellow travellers continued on their journey.

'This also led to a potentially serious situation where a risk assessed trip was left with one teacher down, raising questions about the effect on the safeguarding of the children.'  

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We are providing support to a British man who was prevented from boarding a flight in Reykjavik.'

The US embassy has been approached for comment. 

Mr Trump's executive order was hastily unveiled at the end of his first week in office.

While the White House boasted that he was fulfilling a campaign promise to toughen vetting procedures for people coming from countries with terror ties, the order caused chaos at airports in the US and sparked protests across the country.

The president has cast the order as crucial for national security.

In its original form, the order temporarily suspended all travel to the US for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.

The order was put on hold by the courts and a revised version has not yet been signed though it is understood from a draft that the same seven countries - Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya - will be targeted in it.