Australia may ban HIV-positive immigrants
April 14, 2007 at 3:34 pm (disability, health, immigration, media, refugees, the state)
tionFrom the Sydney Morning Herald:
Ban HIV-positive migrants: PM
HIV-positive people should be denied entry to Australia as migrants or refugees, Prime Minister John Howard says.While saying he would like “more counsel” on the issue, Mr Howard said HIV positive people should not be allowed to migrate to Australia.
“My initial reaction is no (they should not be allowed in),” he told Southern Cross Broadcasting.
“There may be some humanitarian considerations that could temper that in certain cases but prima facie - no.”
More coverage:
- BBC on how the restrictions compare to those around the world,
- and AIDS organisations say the figures for HIV-positive immigrants are misleading.
Given that HIV infection is spreading fastest in the third world, isn’t this just another way for the first world to keep out people of colour?
arielladrake said,
April 19, 2007 at 1:45 am
Why stop at extending screening to student and work visas? Blood testing at airports for all tourists and visitors!
And on the health-costs front, let’s get to banning smokers, cancer-patients, obese people, alcoholics, and so on! Really, it’ll be, like, fun!
Except, well, not. Oh Howard. You are so broken.