May 29, 2009

HIV-Positive Canadian Delegates Barred Entry to the U.S.

Up to 60 HIV-positive Canadians were barred May 22 from entering the United States. They had planned to attend the North American Housing and HIV/AIDS Research Summit in Washington, DC, but are being forced to undergo a rigorous new approval process just days before the conference, scheduled for June 2 to 5. While former President George W. Bush removed the decades-old HIV entry ban from U.S. policy nearly a year ago, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has yet to lift it officially.

Advocacy groups including the National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC), the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) and New York City–based Housing Works are calling on President Barack Obama to push HHS to lift the ban.

The United States remains one of only 14 countries worldwide that continue to bar entry to HIV-positive people.

While HSS officials said that participants would be granted a “designated event HIV waiver” for the summit, the Ottawa Embassy informed the OHTN on May 22 that the 60 delegates scheduled to attend would have to comply with a new visa process. Requirements include a face-to-face interview at a specific Ottawa U.S. consulate, a photo, a $131 money order from a specific Canadian bank, an agreement not to extend the visit for any reason, completion of a comprehensive health form and a pledge that the applicant has valid health coverage.

“Not only are these requirements an affront to people living with HIV in Canada, they were impossible to meet,” Sean B. Rourke, MD, scientific and executive director of OHTN said in a statement. “There was no way to physically get people to the Ottawa Embassy on such short notice,” he said. “Furthermore, requiring people to give their name, a photo and confidential health information to the U.S. government is a violation of their privacy and inconsistent with our commitment to protect personal health information. It shows a lack of sensitivity to the very real stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV/AIDS face every day of their lives.”

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Previous Comments:

Peter, London, UK, 2009-07-28 13:14:09
Absolutely abhorent. I as other forward thinking people am proud of my country. I feel especially sorry for my Canadian friends who find it necessary to cross the border into the USA, I have friends there but now I am really not impressed at the thought of visiting a country which is clearly stigmatizing HIV; this present law was made in the late 80's and never repealed. We are now in the 21st century. I hope that this goes down in history. It is disgusting.

Daniel, Melbourne, 2009-06-05 15:54:49
Stigma and discrimination? Come on. I am HIV+ and ultimately this is a public health issue. Countries have a right to bar people on health grounds if they are sick. This is not just about discrimination. One of these days, us positive people are going to have to face the unfortunate and inconvenient fact that we are in fact physically ill and, as our illness is contagious, we are a public health risk. I don't see anything inherently untoward about the HHS's stance here.

Marqus, Fort Lauderdale, 2009-06-02 12:56:41
It’s absolutely appalling, what has happened. Every delegate as well as the County of Canada deserves a forthright apology and those responsible should immediately be terminated from their positions of authority for allowing this to happen. Fortunately I know that Canada and the people of Canada are dignified enough not to retaliate, but who could blame them if they did. Marqus

Jeton Ademaj, New York City, 2009-06-02 12:44:41
I hope progressives recall dithering around and just hoping for the best back when Clinton started drifting rightward in 1993. it's obvious that authoritarians and/or conservatives have no intention of holding back their pressure...we should apply at least a fraction of such pressure ourselves. selling us out shouldn't be convenient and easy, it's up to us to ensure that it isn't.

Jetpn Ademaj, New York City, 2009-06-02 12:37:40
I appraised Obama cynically during the campaign and voted for Nader, but O is already deviating so far from the progressive-messiah script that i'm genuinely saddened nonetheless. it's horrifying that Obama would institute an "every old AIDS-phobia is new again" policy when Bush(!!) had just attempted to end the bigoted travel restriction. This precedent is dangerous...i hope the leadership in the HIV community snaps out of their daydream, and takes Obama to task for this asap.

JH, Toronto, 2009-06-02 11:19:57
Dave, Canada does not "ban immigration by HIV positive people", and most certainly does not ban TRAVEL of HIV positive people. If that were the case, we never would have hosted the International AIDS Conference in 2006, nor would there be thousands of new Canadians who have HIV. It is shameful that Canadians are required to disclose our status in order to cross border shop in the US, or visit our family, or go on vacation, or go to a NA conference on Housing for PHAs!

michèle, switzerland, basel, 2009-06-01 03:49:37
every passenger on every flight to the usa has to declare him-self or her-self beeing HIV-positive...maybe CHANGE will happen then!

dave, , 2009-05-31 17:49:41
This is disgusting and embarrasing! However, no matter how loud the Canadians protest, their country is one of the countries that still bans immigration by HIV positive people as well.

Berthold Barluscchke, Paris, France, 2009-05-30 15:45:45
What else is new? I applied 72hrs before to HonelandSEcurity indicating my HIV Status- after 2 min. came the Anwer - Entry denied. The US and other 13 Countries form the Axis of Unscientific Believers. I wrote to Mr. President, Huffington Post, Amnesty International - US Section -SILENCE. My ex-wife and my two Children, all US Citizens invited me to Boston to celebrate my Birthday, my Son even worked full-time for Obama. Latest directive from August 2008 is signed by Chertoff.

Berthold Barluscchke, Paris, France, 2009-05-30 15:36:02
That is the Change Obama promised - great. It happened to me to. My exwife and my two Children, all US Citizens, invited me to celebrate my Birthday in the US. I booked on the Queen Mary and informed Homeland Security - Entry denied. I wrote to President Obama, Huffington Post etc, SILENCE The irony - my 27 yr. old Son worked full-time for the promised CHANGE. I also informed Amnesty International - US Section. Can we not organize a Petitiion????

Tig, New York City, 2009-05-30 10:05:51
It is insane that the US would have such a policy. It shows how much work must still be done... My partner, a Canadian, was not able to move here because of his status, so I ended up going there. It was amazing to see the quality health care that he had and the Canadian view of HIV in general. It's a shame that a country like ours lags behind in both human rights and attitude.

martin, , 2009-05-29 20:54:51
As the days pass by Obama is slowly turning into one big fat disappointment. He is bending over backwards to not offend the Right and in doing so snubbing those who put him in office.