UNAIDS - Denying Entry, Stay and Residence due to HIV Status

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Advocating for non-discrimination in the freedom of movement of people living with HIV

DenyIng entry, stAy AnD resIDence Due to HIV stAtus

Ten things you need to know

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“Six decades after the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights] was adopted, it is shocking that there should still be discrimination against those at high risk, such stigma attached to individuals living with HIV. This not only drives the virus underground, where it can spread in the dark ; as important, it is an affront to our common humanity... I call for a change in laws that uphold stigma and discrimination – including restrictions on travel for people living with HIV (emphasis added).“

Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS, June 2008

“One of the most long-standing and disturbing indicators of discrimination against people living with HIV has been restrictions on entry, stay and residence based on positive HIV status. We must eliminate such restrictions as well as other punitive laws that demean people living with HIV and block effective responses to AIDS. Together we can do it.“

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDSUnder Secretary-General of the United Nations

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1. Some59countries,territoriesandareas1denytheentry, stay or residence of HIV-positive peoplebecauseoftheirHIVstatusonly.

2. HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay andresidencecurtailimportantlifeactivitiesofpeoplelivingwithHIV.

3. HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay andresidencedonotprotectthepublichealth.

4. Restrictionsonentry,stayandresidencebasedonHIVstatusarediscriminatory.

5. The enforcement of HIV-related restrictions onentry, stay and residence can, and does, violateotherhumanrights.

6. HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay andresidencecanimpedeeffectiveresponsestoHIV.

7. Any exclusion of HIV positive people to avoidpotential costsof treatmentand support shouldbebasedonindividualassessmentandshouldnotsingleoutHIV.

8. Countrieswithoutrestrictionsonentry, stayandresidenceofHIVpositivepeopledonotreportanyproblems.

9. International organizations support efforts toeliminate HIV-related restrictions on entry, stayandresidence.

10.YoucanhelptoeliminateHIV-relatedrestrictionsonentry,stayandresidence!

Denying entry, stay anD resiDence Due to HiV status


1 Anyreferenceto“countries”inthisdocumentalsoincludesterritoriesandareas.Pleasenotethatthedesignationsemployedandthepresentationofthematerialinthispaperdonotimplytheexpressionofanyopinionwhatsoeveronthepartoftheauthorsconcerningthelegalstatusofanycountry,territory,cityorareaorofitsauthorities,orconcerningthedelimitationofitsfrontiersorboundaries.

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1. some 59 countries, territories anD areas Deny tHe entry, stay or resiDence of HiV-positiVe people because of tHeir HiV status only.

In the early 1980s, when there was a great deal ofignorance, fear and prejudice in the response to HIV,many countries implemented restrictions on the entry,stayandresidenceofpeoplelivingwithHIV(“HIV-relatedtravel restrictions”). Despite the enormous amount ofknowledge gained since then about how HIV is and isnot transmitted, many of these restrictions still exist.Such restrictions are unnecessary, discriminatory andobsolete.

AsofMay2009,itappearsthat59countriesstillimposesomeformofrestrictionontheentry,stayandresidenceof people living with HIV. Some 7 countries requiredeclarationofHIVstatusforentryorforany lengthofstayandeitherbarHIV-positivepeoplefromenteringorapplydiscretionconcerningtheirentry.Anadditional6countriesdenyvisasforevenshort-termstays.2Twenty-sixcountriesdeportindividualsoncetheirHIVinfectionisdiscovered.Thereare108countrieswithnoHIV-specificrestrictionsonentry,stayorresidence.For20countries,the information is contradictory; and for 17 countriesthereisnoavailableinformation.3

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“Attitudes and policies such as these[relating to HIV restrictions on entry,stay and residence] will not contributeto reaching the goal of Universal Access[to HIV prevention, treatment, care andsupport]; they will however contributeto increasedstigmaanddiscriminationofpeoplelivingwithHIV...Iamalsoapersonliving with HIV, and by revealing my HIVstatuspublicly,Iamtakingariskofbeingbanned from entering this country andover seventy other countries around theworld.”

Ratri Suksma, Representative from CARAM Asia, United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS, June 2008

2 Thismeansthatthese6countriesmayallowentryofHIV-positivepeople,butdenyvisaapplicationsbasedonHIVstatusforperiodsasshortas10daysandbeyond(dependingonthecountry).

3 ThisinformationistakenfromtherecentlylaunchedGlobal Database on HIV-related Travel Restrictions.Itshouldbenotedthattheinformationonthewebsitehasnotbeen independentlyverified,and theauthorsof thisdocumentcannotwarrantitsaccuracy.Fordetails,seewww.hivtravel.org.

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2. HiV-relateD restrictions on entry, stay anD resiDence curtail important life actiVities of people liVing witH HiV.

RestrictionsonstayandresidencebasedonHIVstatusnotonlydenyequalfreedomofmovementtoHIV-positivepeople, they also affect their health, developmentandotherhumanrights.SuchrestrictionspreventHIV-positivepeoplefromvisitingrelativesinothercountries,doingbusinessorstudyingabroad,migratingforworkreasons, participating in international humanitarianand development efforts, serving in consular services,seeking or receiving asylum, attending conferences,vacationing,unitingwithfamilymembersoradoptingHIVpositivechildrenfromabroad.

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Thenumberofpeoplewhohavebeenaffectedbysuchrestrictionsisnotknown,butitappearsthat those most affected are labour migrants.Potential migrants often use all their resourcesto finance the migration; and those who havealready migrated send remittances to familymembersintheirhomecountry.WhenHIV-relatedrestrictions are applied to them, individuals inbothsituationsarerequiredtogettestedforHIV,and if found HIV positive, areeitherdenied,ordeported(asrelevant),withtheirHIVstatusoftendisclosed.Thiscanbefinanciallyandemotionallydevastating, resulting in the lossofallfinancialresources, as well as return to a communitywheretheyare likely to facediscriminationandrejectionduetotheirHIVstatus.

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3. HiV-relateD restrictions on entry, stay anD resiDence Do not protect tHe public HealtH.

ExpertsininfectiousdiseaseandpublichealthhavemadeitclearthatHIVdoesnotposeathreattopublichealthinrelationtotravelandmobilitybecausetheviruscannotbetransmittedsimplybythepresenceofanHIV-positivepersonorbycasualcontact.4,5,6

Asearlyas1988,theWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)statedthat“sinceHIVinfectionisalreadypresentineveryregionandinvirtuallyeverymajorcityintheworld,eventotal exclusion of all travellers (foreigners and citizenstravellingabroad)cannotprevent the introductionandspreadofHIV.”7Italsosaidthatsince:“HIVscreeningofinternationaltravellerswouldbeineffective,impracticaland wasteful… Rather than screening internationaltravellers, resources must be applied to preventingHIV transmission among each population, based oninformation and education, and with the support ofhealthandsocialservices”.8Inthatsameyear,theWorldHealth Assembly urged Member States “to protect thehumanrightsanddignityofHIV-infectedpeople….andtoavoiddiscriminatoryactionagainstandstigmatizationof them in the provision of services, employment andtravel(emphasisadded).9

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In the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS(2001)10, paragraph 50, governments committedthemselves to “By 2005, develop and begin toimplement national, regional and internationalstrategies that facilitate access to HIV/AIDSpreventionprogrammesformigrantsandmobileworkers,includingtheprovisionofinformationonhealthandsocialservices”.

4 World Health Organization, (1987), “Report of the Consultation onInternationalTravelandHIV Infection”,Geneva,2-3March1987,WHO/SPA/GLO/87.1.

5 World Health Organization (1988), Statement on screening of international travellers for infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, WHO/GPA/INF/88.3.

6 JointUnitedNationsProgrammeonHIV/AIDSandInternationalOrganizationfor Migration, (2004), UNAIDS/IOM Statement on HIV/AIDS-related Travel Restrictions. Available online: http://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/site /myjahiasite /shared/shared/mainsite /activities /health /UNAIDS_IOM_statement_travel_restrictions.pdf

7 World Health Organization (1988), Statement on screening of international travellers for infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, WHO/GPA/INF/88.3.

8 Ibid.9 “Avoidance of discrimination in relation to HIV-infected people and people

withAIDS”(1988),WorldHealthAssemblyResolution41.24.10UN Document A/RES/S-26/2. Available online: http://www.un.org/ga/aids/

docs/aress262.pdf

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4. restrictions on entry, stay anD resiDence baseD on HiV status are Discriminatory.

Statesmayimposeimmigrationandvisarestrictionsasavalidexerciseoftheirnationalsovereignty,buttheyarealso bound by the human rights of non-discriminationandequalitybeforethelaw.IfStateslimittheserights,they must show that this is necessary to achieve alegitimategoalandthatthemeansusedactuallyachievethe goal and are the least restrictive means possible.11Protecting the public health and avoiding undue costsassociatedwithtreatmentandsupporthavebeencitedasreasonsforHIVtravelrestrictions.Butasstated,suchrestrictions do not protect the public health; and theblanketexclusionofallpeoplelivingwithHIVisnotthe

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mostrationalor least restrictivemeansbywhichidentifypositivepeoplewhomightrequirepublicsupport. This means that restrictions on entry,stayandresidencebasedonHIVstatusalonearediscriminatory.

“While travel restrictions are a questionof state sovereignty… States also haveobligationsunderinternationallawwithinwhich sovereign rights may be exercised.Underbasic normsofnon-discrimination,Statesmustprovidecompellingreasonsforanydifferentiation,inrestrictingtravelforpeoplelivingwithHIV.Weknowthattherearenosuchcompellingreasonsnoristherea public health rationale for restrictingthe freedom of movement based on HIVstatus.Asaresult,anysuchdifferentiationisdiscriminatoryandthusunacceptable.”

Kyung-wha Kang, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, March 2008

11 “Siracusa Principles on the Limitation and Derogation of Provisions in theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights” (1984), UN DocumentE/CN.4/1984/4.

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5. tHe enforcement of HiV-relateD restric-tions on entry, stay anD resiDence can, anD Does, Violate otHer Human rigHts.

Inadditiontobeingdiscriminatory,themannerinwhichHIV-relatedrestrictionsonentry,stayandresidenceareimplementedandtheiroutcomescanresultintheviolationof other rights. Under such restrictions, many travellersor migrants are tested for HIV without being told theyare being so tested, without being counselled, withoutbeing provided the results, without these results beingkeptconfidential,andiffoundtobeHIVpositive,withoutbeing referred or anyway connected to treatment and

otherformsofsupport.12Testing under theseconditions is a violationofmedicalethicsandoftherightstoprivacyandhealth.13

Furthermore, the imple-mentation of HIV travelrestrictions can result inthedenialoftherighttoseek asylum or to unitethefamily;andeventhedenial of life -- whenHIV positive people dieduring detention wheretreatment is denied, orIL

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aredeportedbacktoasituationwheretheycannotreceive,orcontinue,treatment.14

TheEuropeanCourtofHumanRightshascharacterised the deportation of peoplewith life threatening illness as “inhumanor degrading treatment or punishment”,where they are deported to a situationwherecarewouldbeunavailable.15

12CARAM Asia (2007), State of Health of Migrants 2007 – mandatory testing.Available online: http://www.caramasia.org/reports/SoH2007/SoH_Report_2007-online_version.pdf

13UNAIDSandWHOstatethatanytestingforHIVshouldoccurunderconditionsofinformedconsent,counsellingandconfidentialityandbelinkedtopositivehealthoutcomes.SeeUNAIDS/WHOPolicyStatementonHIVTesting(2004).Available online: http://www.who.int/rpc/research_ethics/hivtestingpolicy_en_pdf.pdf. See also UNAIDS/WHO (2007), Guidance on Provider-initiated Testing and Counselling in Health Facilities.Availableonline:http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/guidelines/9789241595568_en.pdf

14DanielM.Bernstein,VishalTrivedi,CeceliaVolk,FelixLopez(2008),HIV and lawful permanent residency: an analysis of the HIV bar, waivers, and prospects for change. New York: Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GHMC). Available online:http://www.gmhc.org/policy/federal/2008_residency.pdf

15SeeforexampleDv.United Kingdom,no.30240/96,ECHR1997-III.However,theCourtwillnotpreventdeportationwhentreatmentislikelytobeavailableinthecountryofreturn.SeeNv.United Kingdom,no.26565/05,ECHR2008(27May).

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6. HiV-relateD restrictions on entry, stay anD resiDence can impeDe effectiVe responses to HiV.

HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residenceassume that positive people will act irresponsibly andtherebytransmitHIV.Thisapproachishighlyprejudicialto HIV positive people and is not supported by theevidence that indicates people who know they arepositive take steps to avoid transmitting HIV.16 Suchprejudicial assumptions add to the climate of HIVstigma and discrimination that deters nationals andnon-nationalsalike fromcomingforward toutilizeHIVpreventionandtreatmentservices.SuchrestrictionsalsoencouragenationalstoconsiderHIVa“foreignproblem”that has been “dealt with” by keeping out foreigners,therebyminimizingincentivestopracticesafersex.Suchlaws can also pressure HIV positive travellers to leavetheirmedicinesbehind,causingthemtobecomeillandtodevelopaformofHIVthatisresistanttotreatment.

HIVtravelrestrictionspreventHIV-positivepeoplefromparticipatinginconferencesandmeetingswheretheycanprovide their considerable experience and knowledgeabouthowtomakeHIVresponsesmosteffective.Thisisindirectoppositiontothe“GreaterInvolvementofPeopleLivingwithHIV”,aprincipleadoptedby42governmentsintheParisDeclarationonAIDS(1994).17

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“Whiletravellingforworkorforpersonalreasons, HIV positive people like meface prejudice that assumes we are notresponsible. We face coercive measuressuch as mandatory testing, having visascancelledordeniedorevenbeingdeportedfromcountrieswevisit.Thisisanoutragein 2008 with everything we know aboutHIV,andwithalltheglobaleffortsaimedat reducing stigma and discriminationagainstpeoplelivingwithHIV.”

Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga, Bolivia, United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS, June 2008

16 For example, see R Bunnell et al (2006) “Changes in sexual risk behaviourand risk of HIV transmission after antiretroviral therapy and preventioninterventionsinruralUganda”,AIDS20(1):85-92,andGaryMarksetal(2005),“Meta-analysis of high-risk sexual behavior in persons aware and unawaretheyareinfectedwithHIVintheUnitedStates:implicationsforHIVpreventionprograms”,Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes39(4):446-53.

17 Paris Declaration(1994),ParisAIDSSummit,1December.

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7. any exclusion of HiV positiVe people to aVoiD potential costs of treatment anD support sHoulD be baseD on inDiViDual assessment anD sHoulD not single out HiV.

Blanket restrictions against people living with HIVbased solely on their HIV status are overly broad anddonot rationallydeterminewhowould,orwouldnot,requireunduesupportfrompublicmonies.Noristherejustification to singleoutHIVapart fromotherchronichealthconditions.Todosoisdiscriminatory.

StatesthatfearaburdenonpublicmoniesduetotheentryorresidenceofanHIVpositivepersonshoulddeterminethrough individualassessmentwhetherthatpersonwillindeedcausesuchaburden.Thisdeterminationshouldnotonlylookatpotentialcostsbutalsotakeintoaccountcontributions that may offset costs. People living withHIVcannowleadlongandproductiveworkinglives,andcan and do produce significant economic benefits forhostcountries.

18Bill Kaufmann (2008), “Canada welcomes HIV immigrants: Sun learns thousands whohavetheviruscausingAIDSallowedtocometoCanada”.CalgarySun,20March2008.

19SeeHBKrentz,MCAuld,MJGill(2004),“Thehighcostofmedicalcareforpatientswhopresent late(CD4<200cells/μL)withHIVinfection”,HIV Medicine5(2):93-98.SeealsoBernsteinetal(2008),HIV and lawful permanent residency: an analysis of the HIV bar, waivers, and prospects for change, and Nancy Ordover (2006), “Comments deliveredat the US HIV/AIDS Travel Ban and Immigration Bar Congressional Briefing”, GHMC.Availableonline:http://www.gmhc.org/policy/federal/061115_comments.pdf

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In addition, HIV travel restrictions cost money.Theyarecostlytoimplement,andtheymayresultingreaterhealthcarecostswheretheycauseHIVpositivepeopletodelayseekinghealthcareuntiltheybecomeseriously illand/orcanonlyreceivecostlyemergencytreatment.19

A 2008 Canadian news article citedinformation from Citizenship andImmigration Canada, which stated thatof the 2,567 immigration applicants whotestedpositiveforHIVfromJanuary2002toDecember2006,only126wererefused.Thespokesperson for the government agencysaid such applicants aren’t considered anexcessive burden on the medical system–“themedicalcostconsideredduringafiveto10-yearperiodgenerallyisn’tconsidereduntoward...GiventhatCanadaaccepted1.2million immigrants in the 2002-2006 timeframe,[thenumberofimmigrantswithHIVis]averysmallnumber.”18

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8. countries witHout restrictions on entry, stay anD resiDence of HiV positiVe people Do not report any problems.

Some108countriesdonothaverestrictionsonentryandstay based on HIV status. These governments have notreportedanyproblemsintermsofeitherpublichealthoran undue burden on public monies. These include suchdiverse countries as: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Croatia,Ethiopia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan,LibyanArabJamahiriya,Mexico,Mozambique,Myanmar,Nepal,Norway,PhilippinesandSwitzerland.20

Other governments, suchasCanadaandEl Salvador,hadHIV-specificrestrictionsand decided to get rid ofthem.InCanada,organizersof the 2006 InternationalAIDSConferenceinTorontobecame aware that HIV-positive attendees wouldhavetoidentifythemselvesonavisaapplication form.The organizers and theirCanadianalliesworkedfast

20GlobalDatabaseonHIV-relatedTravelRestrictions,www.hivtravel.org.21Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (2005), “Recent changes to visitor visa process

affecting entry into Canada for people living with HIV/AIDS”. Available online:http://www.aidslaw.ca/publications/interfaces/downloadFile.php?ref=95

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to educate relevant government ministries thatthismeasurewasoverlybroad,discriminatoryandineffectiveinachievingwhattheywanted,whichwastoidentifyvisitorswithconditionsthatwerecontagious through casual contact. Before theconference,theformwasreplacedbyonethatdidnotrefertoHIV.21

“WecannotaccepttheburdenimposedonHIV-positive people due to discriminatorypractices when travelling. In this era ofglobalisation,restrictingthetravelofpeopleliving with HIV does not have any impactwhatsoever on public health, however itdoes have a discriminatory effect on thelivesofthose livingwiththisvirus…Iurgethe international community, as well asthe leaders of the world, to bring downwalls and restrictions which hamper thefreemovementofpersonslivingwithHIV...Fouryearsago,ElSalvadoreliminatedthoserestrictions which were discriminatory forthoselivingwithHIV/AIDS.”

Elías Antonio Saca, President of the Republic of El Salvador, United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS, June 2008

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9. international organizations support ef-forts to eliminate HiV-relateD restrictions on entry, stay anD resiDence.

There is growing international momentum towardseliminating HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay andresidence. In 2007, the International AIDS SocietypublisheditsofficialpolicypositionregardingHIV-relatedrestrictionsstatingthat,“The InternationalAIDSSocietywill not hold its conferences in countries that restrictshort term entry of people living with HIV/AIDS and/orrequiretheirHIVstatusonvisaapplicationformsorotherdocumentationrequiredforentryintothecountry.”

Alsoin2007,theBoardoftheGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria issued a decision in which the“Boardstronglyencouragesallcountriestomoverapidlytowardseliminationoftravel/entryrestrictions,includingwaivers,forpeople livingwithHIV.”22 Itdecidedaswellthat “The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis andMalaria will not hold Board or Committee Meetings incountries that restrict short-term entry of people livingwith HIV/AIDS and/or require prospective HIV positivevisitors to declare their HIV status on visa applicationformsorotherdocumentationrequiredforentryintothecountry.”23

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At that same meeting, the Global Fund BoardacknowledgedUNAIDS’commitmenttocreateataskteamontravelrestrictions.The International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions (TaskTeam)wassubsequentlyestablishedinearly2008andwascomprised of governments, inter-governmentalorganizationsandcivilsociety,includingnetworksof people living with HIV. Co-chaired by UNAIDSand the Government of Norway, its role was tocallforandsupporteffortstowardtheeliminationof HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay andresidence.Theprinciplesofnon-discriminationandtheGreaterInvolvementofPeopleLivingwithHIVprovidedthecontextinwhichitseffortswereset.TheTaskTeamfinisheditsworkandpresenteditsrecommendationstotheBoardoftheGlobalFundandtotheUNAIDSProgrammeCoordinatingBoardattheendof2008.24

22“Acknowledgement of the UNAIDS Commitment to Create a Task Team onTravel Restrictions”, Decision Point GF/B16/DP25, Sixteenth Board Meeting,12-13November2007.

23“BoardActionontheRighttoTravelofPeoplelivingwithHIV”,DecisionPointGF/B16/DP24,SixteenthBoardMeeting,12-13November2007.

24For the decisions of both boards related to the work of the Task Team, see“International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions”, Decision PointGF/B18/DP22, Eighteenth Board Meeting, 7-8 November 2008. Availableon-line at http://www.theglobalfund.org/documents/board/18/GF-BM18-DecisionPoints_en.pdf.“FinalDecisions,RecommendationsandConclusions”,Twenty-third Meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board,15-17 December 2008. Available on-line at http://data.unaids.org/pub/InformationNote/2008/20081208_pcb_23_decisions_en.pdf.

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10. you can Help to eliminate HiV-relateD restrictions on entry, stay anD resi-Dence !

• get informed:Findoutwhetheryourcountry,territoryor area has HIV-related restrictions on entry, stayand residence and/or whether other countries orareas apply them to you or your fellow citizens whentravelling abroad. Insist that governments that havesuchrestrictionsjustifythemandprovideeasilyavailableinformationaboutthemsothattravellersandmigrantsareforewarned.

• advocate against HiV restrictions on entry, stay and residence: Write a letter, e-mail or call governmentofficials, fromtheMinistryof Interior to thePresidentor Prime Minister. Urge your country’s leadership toeliminatesuchrestrictions if theyhavethem,andbeachampionagainstthematglobalandregionallevels.

• urge diplomatic intervervention: UrgeyourgovernmenttoprotectitsownHIV-positivecitizenswhoarecaughtup in and harmed by such restrictions and to makediplomaticeffortsontheirbehalfwiththegovernmentsthatapplysuchrestrictions.

• launch public awareness campaigns:Advocatefor theeliminationofHIVrestrictionsonentry,stayandresidenceaspartofcampaignstourgecountriestoadheretothecommitmentsmadeinthePoliticalDeclarationonHIV/AIDS(2006),wheregovernmentscommittedthemselvestoeliminateall formsofdiscriminationagainstpeopleliving with HIV. Urge international organizations

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to monitor the existence and impact of suchrestrictionsandadvocatefortheirelimination.

• mobilise your community and build coalitions: Inform others about HIV restrictions on entry,stay and residence, including AIDS servicesorganizations, legal and human rights groups,migrantsandlabourgroups,networksofpeopleliving with HIV, business coalitions and faithcommunities;andexplorejointstrategiestofightagainst these counter-productive policies insideandoutsideyourcountry.

• call for expanded aiDs programming for mobile populations: Urge your country to include HIVprogrammes in its national response to HIV formobile populations, both nationals and non-nationals-entering,leavingandreturningtothecountry -as theeffectivewaytoaddressHIV inthecontextofmobility.

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The Global Database on HIV-related Travel Restrictions is maintained by the InternationalAIDS Society, in collaboration with its partnersGerman AIDS Federation and the EuropeanActionTreatmentGroup.Theinformationinthedatabase has not been independently verifiedanditsaccuracyisnotwarranted.AsinformationonHIVrestrictionsonentry,stayandresidenceisoftendifficulttoobtainorverify,anycorrectionsto the information presented in this booklet orin the database are most welcome and will bereflected in theGlobal Database,aswellasanyupdatesofthisdocument.Suchinformationcanbesentto:[email protected]

These 7 countries/territories/areas appearto require declaration of HIV status for entryor for any length of stay and either bar HIV-positivepeoplefromenteringorapplydiscretionconcerning their entry: Brunei Darussalam,China, Oman, Sudan, United Arab Emirates,UnitedStatesofAmerica,Yemen.

examples of HiV restrictions on entry, stay and residence among countries, territories and areas from the Global Database on HIV-related Travel Restrictions. (www.hivtravel.org)

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In6 countries,territoriesandareas,proofofHIV-negativestatusisrequiredwhentheperiodofstaysurpassesaparticularduration(staysbeginningasshortastendaysupto90 days): Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Singapore,Tunisia,TurksandCaicosIslands.

The26 countries/territories/areas belowdeportforeignersoncetheyarediscoveredtobeHIVpositive:• Armenia• Bahrain• Bangladesh• BruneiDarussalam• China• Egypt• Iraq• Jordan• DemocraticPeople’s

RepublicofKorea(NorthKorea)

• RepublicofKorea(SouthKorea)

• Kuwait• Malaysia• RepublicofMoldova

• Mongolia• Oman• Qatar25

• RussianFederation• SaudiArabia• Singapore• Sudan• SyrianArabic

Republic• Taiwan,China• UnitedArab

Emirates• UnitedStatesof

America• Uzbekistan• Yemen

25Non-nationalswhoacquireHIVwhileresidentinQatarwillnotbedeported.They are entitled to receive HIV prevention, treatment, care and supportservices,onequalbasiswithQataricitizens.

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list of resources

GlobalDatabaseonHIV-relatedTravelRestrictionshttp://www.hivtravel.org

ReportoftheInternationalTaskTeamonHIV-relatedTravelRestrictions:FindingsandRecommendations(2008)http://www.unaids.org

JointUnitedNationsProgramonHIV/AIDSandInternationalOrganizationforMigration(2004),UNAIDS/IOM Statement on HIV/AIDS-Related Travel Restrictionshttp://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite/activities/health/UNAIDS_IOM_statement_travel_restrictions.pdf

InternationalAIDSSociety(2007),IAS Policy Paper – Banning Entry of People Living with HIV/AIDShttp://www.iasociety.org/Web/WebContent/File/ias_policy%20paper_07%2012%2007.pdf

EcumenicalAdvocacyAlliance(2008),Discrimination, Isolation, Denial: A Resource and Action Guide on Travel Restrictions against People Living with HIVhttp://www.e-alliance.ch/media/media-7311.pdf

GayMen’sHealthCrisis–HIV Immigration and Travel Barhttp://www.gmhc.org/policy/federal/immigration_travel.html

CanadianHIV/AIDSLegalNetwork–Immigration and Travelhttp://www.aidslaw.ca/immigration

GlobalHealthCouncil(2006),End Restrictions on Travel to the U.S. by People Living with HIV http://www.globalhealth.org/images/pdf/publications/travel_ban.pdf

CenterforStrategicandInternationalStudies(2007),Moving Beyond the U.S. Government Policy of Inadmissibility of HIV-Infected Noncitizenshttp://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/movingbeyondinadmissibility.pdf

OfficeoftheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRightsandtheJointUnitedNationsProgramonHIV/AIDS(2006),International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rightshttp://data.unaids.org/Publications/IRC-pub07/jc1252-internguidelines_en.pdf

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BrazilianSTD/AIDS Programme

Ministryof Health

changeIBetter Empowerment.. Better Life

worldaidscampaign

“Six decades after the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights] was adopted, it is shocking that there should still be discrimination against those at high risk, such stigma attached to individuals living with HIV. This not only drives the virus underground, where it can spread in the dark ; as important, it is an affront to our common humanity... I call for a change in laws that uphold stigma and discrimination – including restrictions on travel for people living with HIV (emphasis added).“

Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS, June 2008

“One of the most long-standing and disturbing indicators of discrimination against people living with HIV has been restrictions on entry, stay and residence based on positive HIV status. We must eliminate such restrictions as well as other punitive laws that demean people living with HIV and block effective responses to AIDS. Together we can do it.“

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDSUnder Secretary-General of the United Nations


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Advocating for non-discrimination in the freedom of movement of people living with HIV

DenyIng entry, stAy AnD resIDence Due to HIV stAtus


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UNAIDS - Denying Entry, Stay and Residence due to HIV Status