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Saturday 1 November 2014
EBOLA-CANADA: Canada bars visas from Ebola-hit countries
Visa applications from worst-affected nations
suspended in move slammed as ineffective and
disheartening by critics.
Canada has suspended visa applications for
residents and nationals of countries with
"widespread transmission" of the Ebola virus,
becoming the second nation after Australia to
introduce such a measure.
The countries most severely hit by the worst
Ebola outbreak ever are Liberia, Sierra Leone and
Guinea. Canada has not yet had a case of the
disease.
The similar move by Australia was slammed on
Wednesday by Dr Margaret Chan, the World
Health Organisation's director general, who said
closing borders won't stop spread of the Ebola
virus.
Canadians, including healthcare workers, in West
Africa will be permitted to travel back to Canada,
the government said.
Kevin Menard, a spokesman for Canada's
immigration ministry, said the government has
"instituted a pause" in issuing visas for foreigners
from risky countries, but noted "there was room
for discretion if we can be assured that someone
is not infected with the virus," according to the
Associated Press news agency.
Nancy Caron, a spokesman for Citizenship and
Immigration Canada, said that "a number of
African countries have imposed stricter travel
bans as have several other countries around the
world. Other countries such as the United States
have started to place restrictions on travelers
from countries with Ebola outbreaks".
The government also noted that all travelers,
including Canadian citizens, will continue to be
screened at ports of entry in Canada and will be
subject to appropriate health screening.
Menard said the move is similar to, but a bit less
restrictive than, the Australian measure.
Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN
secretary-general, said the body welcomed
Canada's support in fighting the Ebola outbreak
but advocated "against isolating the three most
impacted countries and stigmatising its citizens".
-'Disheartening move'-
David Fidler, an international law professor at
Indiana University, said the measures by Canada
and Australia mean are violations of International
Health Regulations, a 2005 World Health
Organisation treaty to which both signed up.
The treaty "just seems to be disintegrating in this
Ebola panic," Fidler said.
"And to have countries like Australia and Canada
be in the forefront of this is even more
disheartening,'' he said, because they had
been supportive of the international treaty meant
to prevent panic during such a health crisis.
Libby Davies, a member of the Canadian
opposition party New Democrat, also criticised
the visa ban, citing criticism by the World Health
Organisation and the World Bank and questioning
the announcement's timing.
"Sending this announcement on a Friday
afternoon only worsens concerns that this policy
is a public relations exercise, and irresponsibly
ignorant of what health experts have advised,"
she said.
The International Health Regulations are designed
to help the world fight infectious disease
outbreaks that have the potential for
international spread. They were revised and
strengthened in the wake of the 2003
SARS outbreak.
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