HIV related restrictions on entry and residence: indicator of stigma and discrimination - EATG activities at International AIDS Conference 2010, Vienna

In close cooperation with colleagues from the Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe (DAH), Global Network of people living with HIV (GNP+) and the International AIDS Society (IAS), the EATG organised various activities during the International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

We live in a globalised world, where travelling from one place to another is for many people a routine or necessity. People cross countries for leisure or work, to attend conferences, to study, for an internship or as migrant workers.

To restrict the freedom of PLWHA to stay for a certain time in another country would mean to limit their fundamental rights with very negative consequences for their health, their career and to make their living.

In the weeks prior to the conference, we updated the database on HIV related restrictions at www.hivrestrictions.org. Any new information we have received and collected from governments or feedback from users is now available online.

We published the 9th edition of the Quick Reference, a booklet with a brief overview of all restrictions. This particular effort was supported by the Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe. This edition was available at the conference in 10 languages. The booklets are useful for advocacy purposes, download is possible from www.hivrestrictions.org and at www.eatg.org/eatg/Publications/Other-newsletters/Quick-Reference-2010-2011-Entry-and-Residence-Regulation-for-people-living-with-HIV. This work could not have been achieved without the great support by dear friends and activists, many of them EATG members. Many thanks to everybody for your generous help and support!

In collaboration with our partners (DAH, GNP+, IAS and UNAIDS), we submitted two abstracts to the conference, we proposed an activity at the Human Rights Networking Zone and co-organised a workshop.

Our abstract on deportation of HIV-positive migrants and impact on health and human rights, delivered in collaboration with Human Rights Watch, was accepted as oral presentation for the session on “Refugees and Asylum Seekers and HIV: Deportation and Human Rights Violations”, co-chaired by Anna Zakowicz and Frank Amort. We presented latest data on countries deporting PLWHA and findings from the report “Returned to Risk”, commissioned together with HRW, the African Policy Network and Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe (http://www.hrw.org/en/node/85610). A major problem we are facing is access to treatment for PLWHA who are deported back to their country of origin and lack of data and information about their fate. States and intergovernmental organisations are reluctant to publish the data they have. Deportation can result in death and violates human rights, if treatment and care in the home country is not guaranteed. The PowerPoint slides are available at: http://www.eatg.org/eatg/Projects/Past-projects/AIDS-2010-Vienna-XVIII-International-AIDS-Conference-July-18-23-2010

The abstract “HIV-specific restrictions on entry and residence in Europe: a source of discrimination and a challenge to demonstrate political leadership” reflects the situation in European countries and the efforts of the HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum, an informal advisory body to the European Commission, to address this issue at a policy level. 15 European countries still have some restrictions in place; the call for a European response to remove restrictions by 2010 was unsuccessful http://www.hivtravel.org/Web/WebContentEATG/File/Call%20for%20European%20response%20to%20remove%20HIV%20travel%20restrictions%20in%20Europe%20by%202010.pdf.

The poster includes a world map showing the current restriction status of all countries, it can be downloaded at: http://www.eatg.org/eatg/Projects/Past-projects/AIDS-2010-Vienna-XVIII-International-AIDS-Conference-July-18-23-2010

Peter Wiessner, EATG member and freelance social scientist on behalf of Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, was invited to participate in the session on “Barriers to Migrants and Mobile Populations in Accessing Comprehensive HIV Services and Treatment”. HIV-positive migrant workers are often denied access to health care services, which increases their vulnerability to HIV. This happens quite often despite the fact that migrant workers significantly contribute to the economic growth of the host countries. The PowerPoint presentation on HIV related entry and residence regulations and Human Rights is available at http://www.eatg.org/eatg/Projects/Past-projects/AIDS-2010-Vienna-XVIII-International-AIDS-Conference-July-18-23-2010. The session video with all the other speakers involved can be viewed at http://globalhealth.kff.org/AIDS2010/July-20/Barriers-to-Migrants.aspx

Based on our experience in advocating for removal of restrictions, a workshop on how to advocate for the removal of HIV-specific restrictions was carried out at the first conference day. The question is, if and how the recent positive legal changes in the USA, China, Namibia and Bulgaria can have an impact on those countries that still discriminate against the rights of PLWHA. .

The aim of the event was to

- Mobilise activism towards the removal of HIV related restrictions on entry stay and residence

- Build in-country capacity to engage in and lobby for HIV-sensitive migration and immigration policies;

- Explore, through country case studies, strategies to influence government to initiate policy changes;

- Build coalitions between international and in-country activists for active engagement;

Nancy Ordover from the Coalition to Lift the Bar in the U.S., Michaela Clayton, AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa, Ron McInnis from the International AIDS Society and Rosalyn Bolyne from the International Organisation for Migration delivered key notes and discussed possible strategies for removing restrictions in countries that still discriminate with participants.

Another activity, proposed by David Haerry and Peter Wiessner, to further discuss Human Rights issues in relation to entry residence regulations and the criminalisation of HIV transmissions took place in the Human Rights Networking Zone. A very special thank you to Nancy Ordover, Ferenc Bagyinszky from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and Dominik Bachmann from the Swiss AIDS Federation for their valuable input to the session! Nancy discussed the changes in U.S. law, Dominik elaborated on the advocacy efforts in the area of criminalisation of HIV transmission in Switzerland. Ferenc talked about the legal situation in Hungary and on the difficulties to lobby for legislative changes.

2010 was an incredibly productive year for all travel restrictions advocates. DAH, EATG, GNP+ and UNAIDS organised a well attended press conference with key note speeches by Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, Kevin Moody from GNP+, one representative from the Government in Namibia and one journalist from China. The global community interest about the topic is still high. We hope that other countries will follow the positive moves by Bulgaria, China, the U. S., Namibia and Georgia. These changes are the result of tireless efforts by a large number of Civil Society advocates. http://www.eatg.org/eatg/Press/Press-Releases/66-countries-discriminate-against-people-living-with-HIV-HIV-related-entry-and-residence-regulations