Months of opaque visa delays and poorly explained denials are sparking widespread criticism of Canada for its cumbersome visa policies
. But it is also casting a spotlight on the barriers that routinely exclude people from the Global South when events are held in the north.“It systematically keeps people from the Global South from making decisions and being in discussions about programs that will affect them directly,” Dr. Makofane told The Globe and Mail.
He described the conference as the “town square” for HIV issues globally. “And this year this conference will be missing some very important voices. We have a dilemma because of the racism that’s built into the process of getting into the country.” A survey by researchers at Latin American AIDS organizations, published last week, found almost 200 individuals who had struggled to secure visas for the Montreal conference. One-fifth had their applications rejected.
Madhukar Pai, the Canada Research Chair in epidemiology and global health at McGill University, said blame lies not just with Canadian visa authorities – the conference organizers at the AIDS Society have also blundered. He questioned the logic behind holding conferences like this in a wealthy Western nation with a reputation for being restrictive on visas.
Even before the pandemic, University of Calgary law professor Gideon Christian said he’s seen cases where the government has taken a full year to decide on a visa application from an African applicant.
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