Stop discriminating against people with HIV, US government told

By Teresia Mutuku, Communications Officer and Web Manager, WACC

Geneva, Switzerland - A global network of churches has issued a letter to the government of the United States of America asking for the abolition of a proposal to impose special visa requirements on people living with HIV who wish to travel to the country.

"We write today to ask the United States government to give no further consideration to the proposed rule on 'issuance of a visa and authorization for temporary admission into the United states for certain non-immigrant aliens affected with HIV infection’ who wish to travel to the U.S.", said the letter released today, 6 December, by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) a global network of churches based in Geneva, Switzerland. WACC is a member of the Alliance.

"We call on the United States government to abolish all HIV-specific restrictions on the entry to or stay in the U.S.", said the letter signed by EAA's coordinator, Linda Hartke.

The letter addressed to the Department of Homeland Security of the U.S. government, argues that such restrictions are discriminatory especially to marginalized and vulnerable people.