Immigration Minister to Revise Policy, Opening Door to HIV

The Canadian government is reversing its plan to ban entry to immigrants with HIV. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan confirmed Monday that because of a change in Health Canada advice, immigrants who test positive for HIV will not automatically be barred from entering the country. The immigration department still plans to implement mandatory HIV testing for all prospective immigrants, but with the goal of making sure such immigrants get the proper treatment and care when they arrive in Canada.

Monday's announcement was a dramatic reversal from the policy Caplan put forward last fall when she announced her department would begin testing all potential immigrants for HIV. At the time, Caplan said immigrants with HIV would be banned from entering the country because they posed a public health risk and would place an excessive demand on the system. Caplan's reversal was triggered by a Health Canada policy shift that was outlined in a letter to Caplan from Health Minister Allan Rock. In it, he said his department had decided to "refine" its advice and would no longer advocate a ban on persons with HIV. Health Canada estimates that one in 1,000 immigrants entering the country -- or about 220 people last year -- are HIV-positive.

Back to other CDC news for June 12, 2001

Previous Updates | Search the CDC archive