One year from the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., prospects are looking dim for sex workers and drug users who want to attend.
The International AIDS Society has announced that it will release a document in August that details the U.S. visa process for IAC 2012. That document will describe entry restrictions for sex workers and drug users, and it will provide instructions on how to apply for a waiver if a delegate’s visa is denied. IAS will post that information here.
Still no obvious solutions
Strict U.S. regulations that block entry for people who admit to sex work or drug use could keep hundreds from participating in the world’s largest gathering on HIV/AIDS. Recognizing the key role these individuals play in charting the future of the fight against the disease, the IAS formed a working group to troubleshoot avenues for getting marginalized groups into the country.
The working group, however, has already explored—and discarded—a number of options. In June, it released a document stating that it will not lobby to change U.S. immigration policy before the conference.
The group did meet with U.S. officials to ask the federal government to issue a blanket waiver for all conference delegates who are denied a visa. The U.S. government rejected that proposal, and immigration authorities will have to review each waiver individually—a process that will cost delegates both time and money.
Read the rest here.
[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]
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