‘We are very frustrated’: International delegates waiting for visas to attend AIDS conference in Montreal

Hundreds of delegates and attendees from across the globe are scheduled to attend the world’s largest conference on HIV and AIDS here in Montreal later this month. Right now, they’re in limbo and many still waiting on visas.

“If we miss this conference from our end with all the sessions that we are also going to be planning, this is also more of a failure from our end, and all our efforts are going to go in vain,” explained Tinashe Rufurwadzo, director of programs and governance, Y+GLOBAL.

Y + Global is an international organization that promotes the voices of youth living with HIV. Rufurwadzo says his colleagues based in Kenya and himself have not received a response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and others have been denied.

Many invited to the event are from Africa or Latin America, and the only way they are able to attend the conference is by obtaining a visitor visa to Canada.

“I think we are also trying to jump through hoops of fire with our influence and engagement adviser and the events coordinator being denied visas as the Canadian government strongly have beliefs that they will not return to their country after the conference.”

The organization is planning on hosting in-person workshops focused on engaging youth living with HIV and AIDS while also assisting some youth with flights, accommodation, and food, but because of the delays in response from the IRCC, this is no longer feasible.

RELATED: People planning to attend AIDS conference in Montreal still struggling to get visas

“We checked on the flights today for someone to then travel from Malawi to Canada for the conference. Initially, it was around €1,500 to €2,000, but as of today, it’s around €5,000, which is also a huge blow for us,” said Rufurwadzo.

CityNews reached out to the IRCC which responded in part that, “IRCC has been working closely with the organizers of the 2022, 24th Annual International AIDS conference to ensure immigration and entry requirements are understood so processing and admission for participants can go smoothly.

“IRCC is prioritizing the processing of temporary resident visa (TRV) applications for delegates attending the 24th Annual International AIDS Conference,” the statement continued. “IRCC has taken every measure available to expedite the applications as quickly as possible and facilitate travel for this event. To maximize the assistance that the Department can offer after IRCC received the lists of invited attendees from event organizers, we shared the information with our visa offices abroad where the applications are being prioritized for processing.”

Roughly 250 organizations from around the world sent a joint letter to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser calling on him to take action. While there was no instant response, the IRCC replied to them saying in part that they are with the organizers of the event during which “the department provided specific details on the application process and reinforced the importance that all attendees apply as early as possible.”

According to Rufurwadzo, many who applied more than a month ago are still without a response.

Jean-Pierre Routy, a local co-chair of the event says they will incorporate virtual attendance to allow the 20 per cent who cannot physically be there to attend. Something Rufurwadzo says will create a barrier for those without internet access in remote areas and youth wanting to engage.

“We want to hear the voices of young people and how best can the young people in the communities can also contribute to the solutions that impact our health and rights.”

The conference is set for July 29 to August 2nd. For more – head to the Aids 2020 website.