Mauritius: Mauritius deports HIV-positive care worker despite anti-discrimination laws

Translated with Deepl. For original article in French, please scroll down

A Madagascan worker living with HIV in Mauritius: Deported the day after her moving testimony at the Candlelight Memorial

The reading of her poignant testimony had moved the crowd at the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, held on 17 May at the Caudan Waterfront. The solidarity expressed and the appeals made were in vain. For the very next day, the woman we shall call Fandja was deported to Madagascar because she is living with HIV. Neither her professionalism nor her impeccable conduct could save her from what she feared so much. But despite anti-discrimination laws, Mauritius continues to apply this highly discriminatory and controversial measure.

“I am not asking for pity. I am simply asking for the right to live, to work and to receive treatment like a human being,” was the message she conveyed in her testimony at Caudan on Sunday evening. The moving account of this 45-year-old Malagasy worker was read out in the hope of countering this measure, which is still being applied by the Mauritian authorities. Having tested positive for HIV in Mauritius, she feared that her status would be disclosed: “The day that happens, I risk losing everything: my job, my healthcare, my stability, my dignity. My family will also lose its sole breadwinner. I will be deported and repatriated like a criminal. I have seen other compatriots of mine suffer this fate. Back home, how will I explain this sudden return? How will I face the stares, the shame, the humiliation? How will I support my family?”

This is precisely what happened to her the following day. “Around 10 am, my boss called me. He took me to the bank so I could collect my money and drove me to where I was living so I could collect some of my personal belongings. It was only at the airport that he told me he’d received a call from the authorities saying I was HIV-positive and that I had to be sent away immediately. ”

“It would break my parents’ hearts to learn that I’ve been deported because I’m living with HIV”

Feeling caught up in a whirlwind, she had left behind a large part of her belongings. “Just before take-off, I called my mother to tell her I was coming home that very evening. I told her I was coming for a few days’ unplanned holiday to rest. I’ll never be able to tell her the truth. My parents are old and ill. I’d come to Mauritius to help them get by. It would break their hearts to learn that I’ve been deported because I’m living with HIV,” says Fandja from Antananarivo.

“I’m at a loss; I don’t know what to do. My priority is to continue my treatment and reassess my plans. It’s very difficult for me.” Until then, everything had been going well for this woman who had been working in a care home for several years. “In Mauritius, every day, I wash, I feed, I help frail people to get up, to eat, to live with dignity. I look after Mauritian parents and grandparents as if they were my own. Every month, I send money to my family back in Madagascar. Children and loved ones depend on me to survive,” she said in her testimony at the Candlelight Memorial.

This 21st edition was organised by around twenty organisations in collaboration with the National Agency for Drug Control (NADC) with the aim of paying tribute to those who have died from HIV-related causes and supporting those affected and infected. The plight of foreign workers and students deported from Mauritius because of HIV was one of the issues highlighted. Hence Fandja’s testimony.

In his address, Nicolas Ritter, founder of PILS, emphasised: “Stigma has not disappeared. It has simply changed its face. It is sometimes more polite, more silent, but just as cruel as ever.” ’ Speaking after Fandja’s testimony had been read out, he added: ‘Earlier, we heard the voice of a woman who could not be with us this evening. And her absence alone speaks volumes. She could not come and take this microphone. She could not show her face. Because in Mauritius in 2026, speaking publicly about one’s HIV status—especially as a foreign worker—still means risking everything.”

Several advocacy campaigns and discussions had already been initiated with the authorities to counter this regressive measure. Moreover, it is at odds with more recent laws (the HIV & AIDS Act, the Equal Opportunities Act, the Workers’ Rights Act) which condemn any discriminatory measure or sanction against people living with HIV. Internationally, the implementation of this measure negatively impacts Mauritius’s image, as the country is seen as one of those still practising such discrimination.

“My treatment is working. I’m fine. I can’t infect anyone. I’m still working, loving and living.”

When Fandja arrived in Mauritius a few years ago, her HIV test was negative. She was then granted a work permit. She later learnt that her partner had been unfaithful to her, which prompted her to take an HIV test at the start of the year. “When the result came back, I thought I was going to die right there and then. I was HIV-positive. For days, I couldn’t sleep. Several times, I thought about suicide. I wondered if my life still had any meaning. Even today, I’m still battling depression. But I started my treatment straight away. I was supported. I’m still fighting. Today, my treatment is working. I’m doing well. I can’t infect anyone. I’m still working, loving, living,” she said in her testimony.

Everything started to unravel when her employer told her that all staff had to take another HIV test. “We hadn’t been consulted. We weren’t asked for our consent. We weren’t given any guarantees of confidentiality. All this despite the fact that the laws in Mauritius were written to protect anyone living with HIV. Refusing could mean losing our jobs.” From that moment on, her fear was that the authorities would disclose her status to her boss despite the prohibitions. That is precisely what happened.

Candles for those “whom Mauritius refuses to welcome and protect”

Nicolas Ritter points out: “Mauritian law protects people against forced testing and against discrimination based on HIV status. This law must be enforced. For everyone, Mauritians and non-Mauritians alike. And let us remember one thing. Our country has been built, generation after generation, by those who came from elsewhere. We are all, in one way or another, descendants of migrants. From India, Africa, Europe, Asia. So how can we close our doors to people who come here to work? And worse still: how can we close them because of their HIV status? A country is not judged solely by its economic growth. It is also judged by the way it treats the most vulnerable.”

As every year, the Candlelight vigil ended with the lighting of candles, accompanied by the evening’s anthem, Enn Lalimier, sung by Éric Triton. On the eve of Fandja’s deportation, Nicolas Ritter declared: “Tonight, we are lighting candles for those we have lost. But also for those whom Mauritius still refuses to fully welcome or still refuses to protect. For this woman whose voice has been heard tonight.”

A few hours later, she was deported.

A legally contradictory measure

The practice of mandatory HIV testing for foreign workers in Mauritius is based primarily on the Immigration Act 2022, which allows for the exclusion from the territory of persons suffering from infectious or communicable diseases, as well as on the Non-Citizens (Employment Restriction) Act 1970, which makes the granting of a work permit conditional upon the presentation of a favourable medical certificate. Although HIV is not explicitly mentioned in the law, administrative procedures effectively require a screening test.

However, this requirement appears legally tenuous in light of the Mauritian legal framework and the country’s international commitments. The HIV and AIDS Act 2006 expressly prohibits any discrimination based on actual or presumed HIV status, particularly in the field of employment, whilst the Equal Opportunities Act 2008 also protects people living with HIV against discrimination in the workplace.

Although the Constitution does not explicitly mention health status among the prohibited grounds for discrimination, a challenge could be based on the fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 3 as well as on the international conventions ratified by Mauritius, notably the ICERD, the ICESCR, ILO Convention No. 111 and Recommendation No. 200 on HIV and the world of work. These international instruments consider mandatory HIV testing for the purpose of excluding individuals from employment or residence to be incompatible with the principles of non-discrimination and respect for human rights.

Travailleuse malgache vivant avec le VIH à Maurice : Déportée au lendemain de son témoignage qui avait ému le Candlelight

La lecture de son témoignage poignant avait ému la foule présente à l’International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, organisé le 17 mai au Caudan Waterfront. La solidarité exprimée et les appels lancés ont été vains. Puisqu’au lendemain même, celle que nous surnommerons Fandja a été déportée vers Madagascar parce qu’elle vit avec le VIH. Ni son professionnalisme ni son attitude irréprochable n’ont pu la sauver de ce qu’elle redoutait tant. Mais malgré les lois contre la discrimination, Maurice continue à appliquer cette mesure hautement discriminatoire et controversée.

« Je ne demande pas la pitié. Je demande simplement le droit de vivre, de travailler et de me soigner comme un être humain », tel avait été le message lancé dans son témoignage au Caudan, dans la soirée du dimanche. Le récit émouvant de cette travailleuse malgache de 45 ans avait été lu dans l’espoir de contrer cette mesure encore appliquée par les autorités mauriciennes. Dépistée positive au VIH sur le sol mauricien, elle craignait que son statut ne soit divulgué : « Le jour où cela arrivera, je risque de tout perdre : mon travail, mes soins, ma stabilité, ma dignité. Ma famille perdra aussi son seul soutien. Je serai expulsée du territoire et rapatriée comme une criminelle. Cela, j’ai vu d’autres de mes compatriotes subir ce sort. Au pays, comment ferai-je pour expliquer ce soudain retour ? Comment vais-je affronter les regards, la honte, l’humiliation ? Comment ferai-je pour faire vivre ma famille ? »

C’est précisément ce qui lui est arrivé le lendemain. « Vers 10h, mon patron m’a appelée. Il m’a conduite à la banque pour que je récupère mon argent et m’a conduite là où je vivais pour que je récupère une partie de mes effets personnels. C’est seulement à l’aéroport qu’il m’a informée qu’il avait reçu un appel des autorités lui indiquant que j’étais positive au VIH et qu’il fallait me faire partir tout de suite. »

« Cela briserait le cœur de mes parents d’apprendre que j’ai été déportée parce que je vis avec le VIH »

Se sentant prise dans un tourbillon, elle avait laissé une bonne partie de ses affaires. « Juste avant le décollage, j’ai appelé ma mère pour lui dire que je rentrais le soir même. Je lui ai dit que je venais pour quelques jours de vacances imprévues afin de me reposer. Je ne pourrai jamais lui dire la vérité. Mes parents sont vieux et malades. J’étais venue à Maurice pour les aider à survivre. Cela leur briserait le cœur d’apprendre que j’ai été déportée parce que je vis avec le VIH », témoigne Fandja depuis Antananarivo.

« Je suis déboussolée, je ne sais pas quoi faire. Ma priorité est de continuer mon traitement et de revoir mes projets. C’est très compliqué pour moi. » Jusqu’alors, tout allait bien pour cette femme engagée dans une maison de retraite depuis quelques années. « À Maurice, chaque jour, je lave, je nourris, j’aide des personnes fragiles à se lever, à manger, à vivre avec dignité. Je prends soin de parents, de grands-parents mauriciens comme si c’étaient les miens. Chaque mois, j’envoie de l’argent à ma famille restée à Madagascar. Des enfants, des proches comptent sur moi pour vivre », disait son témoignage lors du Candlelight Memorial.

Cette 21e édition avait été organisée par une vingtaine d’associations en collaboration avec la National Agency for Drug Control (NADC) dans le but de rendre hommage aux personnes décédées de causes liées au VIH et de soutenir les personnes affectées et infectées. Le sort des travailleurs et étudiants étrangers déportés de Maurice à cause du VIH avait été l’un des sujets mis en avant. D’où le témoignage de Fandja.

Dans son allocution, Nicolas Ritter, fondateur de PILS, avait fait ressortir : « La stigmatisation n’a pas disparu. Elle a changé de visage. Elle est parfois plus polie, plus silencieuse, mais toujours aussi cruelle. » Intervenant après la lecture du témoignage de Fandja, il ajoutait : « Nous avons entendu plus tôt la voix d’une femme qui n’a pas pu être parmi nous ce soir. Et son absence, à elle seule, dit déjà beaucoup. Elle ne pouvait pas venir prendre ce micro. Elle ne pouvait pas montrer son visage. Parce que dans le Maurice de 2026, témoigner publiquement de sa séropositivité, surtout quand on est une travailleuse étrangère ou un travailleur étranger, c’est encore risquer de tout perdre. »

Plusieurs actions de plaidoyer et des discussions avaient déjà été lancées avec les autorités pour contrer cette mesure rétrograde. Elle est, de surcroît, en porte-à-faux avec des lois plus récentes (HIV & AIDS Act, Equal Opportunities Act, Workers’ Rights Act) qui condamnent toute mesure discriminatoire ou toute sanction contre les personnes vivant avec le VIH. À l’international, l’application de cette mesure impacte négativement l’image de Maurice, considérée comme l’un des pays pratiquant encore cette discrimination.

« Mon traitement fonctionne. Je vais bien. Je ne peux infecter personne. Je continue à travailler, à aimer, à vivre »

Quand Fandja était arrivée à Maurice il y a quelques années, son test de dépistage était négatif. Elle avait alors obtenu son permis de travail. Elle avait plus tard appris que son compagnon lui avait été infidèle, ce qui l’avait encouragée à faire un test de dépistage au début de l’année. « Quand le résultat est tombé, j’ai cru mourir sur place. J’étais séropositive. Pendant des jours, je n’ai plus dormi. Plusieurs fois, j’ai pensé au suicide. Je me suis demandé si ma vie avait encore un sens. Aujourd’hui encore, je lutte contre la dépression. Mais j’ai commencé immédiatement mon traitement. J’ai été accompagnée. Je continue à me battre. Aujourd’hui, mon traitement fonctionne. Je vais bien. Je ne peux infecter personne. Je continue à travailler, à aimer, à vivre », disait son témoignage.

Tout a commencé à basculer lorsque son employeur lui a annoncé que tout le personnel devait refaire un test VIH. « Nous n’avions pas été consultés. On ne nous a pas demandé notre consentement. On ne nous a donné aucune garantie de confidentialité. Tout cela alors même que les lois à Maurice ont été écrites pour protéger toute personne vivant avec le VIH. Refuser pourrait signifier perdre notre travail. » À partir de ce moment, sa crainte était que les autorités communiquent son statut à son patron malgré les interdictions. C’est précisément ce qui s’est passé.

Des bougies pour celles et ceux « que Maurice refuse d’accueillir et de protéger »

Nicolas Ritter le rappelle : « La loi mauricienne protège les personnes contre le dépistage forcé et contre la discrimination fondée sur le statut VIH. Cette loi doit être appliquée. Pour tous et toutes, Mauriciens ou non-Mauriciens. Et rappelons-nous une chose. Notre pays s’est construit, génération après génération, avec celles et ceux qui sont venus d’ailleurs. Nous sommes tous, d’une manière ou d’une autre, des descendants de migrations. Venus d’Inde, d’Afrique, d’Europe, d’Asie. Alors comment pouvons-nous fermer nos portes à des personnes qui viennent travailler ici ? Et pire encore : comment pouvons-nous les fermer à cause d’un statut sérologique ? Un pays ne se juge pas uniquement à sa croissance économique. Il se juge aussi à la manière dont il traite les plus vulnérables. »

Comme chaque année, le Candlelight a pris fin par l’allumage des bougies, accompagné de l’hymne de la soirée, Enn Lalimier, chanté par Éric Triton. À la veille de l’expulsion de Fandja, Nicolas Ritter déclarait : « Ce soir, nous allumons des bougies pour celles et ceux que nous avons perdus. Mais aussi pour celles et ceux que Maurice refuse encore d’accueillir pleinement ou refuse encore de protéger. Pour cette femme dont la voix a été portée ce soir. »

Quelques heures après, elle était déportée.

Une mesure légalement contradictoire

La pratique du dépistage obligatoire du VIH pour les travailleurs étrangers à Maurice repose principalement sur l’Immigration Act 2022, qui permet d’exclure du territoire les personnes atteintes de maladies infectieuses ou transmissibles, ainsi que sur le Non-Citizens (Employment Restriction) Act 1970, qui subordonne l’obtention d’un permis de travail à la présentation d’un certificat médical favorable. Bien que le VIH ne soit pas explicitement mentionné dans la loi, les procédures administratives imposent en pratique un test de dépistage.

Cependant, cette exigence apparaît juridiquement fragile au regard du cadre légal mauricien et des engagements internationaux du pays. La HIV and AIDS Act 2006 interdit expressément toute discrimination fondée sur le statut sérologique réel ou présumé, notamment dans le domaine de l’emploi, tandis que l’Equal Opportunities Act 2008 protège également les personnes vivant avec le VIH contre les discriminations professionnelles.

Bien que la Constitution ne mentionne pas explicitement le statut de santé parmi les motifs de discrimination interdits, une contestation pourrait s’appuyer sur les droits fondamentaux garantis par l’article 3 ainsi que sur les conventions internationales ratifiées par Maurice, notamment l’ICERD, le PIDESC, la Convention n°111 de l’OIT et la Recommandation n°200 sur le VIH et le monde du travail. Ces instruments internationaux considèrent le dépistage obligatoire du VIH à des fins d’exclusion de l’emploi ou du séjour comme incompatible avec les principes de non-discrimination et de respect des droits humains.

Russia: 83 migrants with HIV and other infectious diseases deported from the Nizhny Novgorod region in 2025

83 migrants with dangerous diseases who lived in the Nizhny Novgorod region were expelled from Russia in 2025. 49 of them, according to the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the region, left the country on their own. This became known from the report of the regional Rospotrebnadzor.

In total, 57,616 foreigners, most of them are citizens of Uzbekistan, passed the medical examination last year. Specialists identified 84 patients with infectious diseases. 31 people were infected with HIV, 29 with tuberculosis, 24 with syphilis.

Rospotrebnadzor issued 24 decisions on the deportation of HIV-patient migrants who do not have close Russian relatives, as well as 30 decisions on the expulsion of tuberculosis patients and 29 decisions on syphilis patients.

However, such conclusions can be appealed. In 2025, the office considered eight applications for suspension of the decision on the undesirability of stay. Four of them were a positive verdict. In addition, ten applications for the cancellation of the decision on the undesirability of stay were received, and all were satisfied.

Russia: Migrants deported from Khanty-Mansi region over HIV and syphilis diagnoses

Translated with Deepl.com – Scroll down for original article in Russian

Syphilis and HIV among migrants have led to their deportation from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region

The Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) has issued 69 decisions declaring the presence of foreign nationals in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region undesirable. A third of the deportations are linked to HIV, whilst the remainder relate to sexually transmitted diseases and other serious infections. The data is presented in a report by Maya Solovyova, head of the regional office of the Service, at a meeting of the district council.

“69 decisions have been made regarding the undesirability of stay, which is 3.4 times more than in 2024,” the presentation accompanying the report states. The slide also contains information that 65 migrants were found to have dangerous diseases.

33.8% were diagnosed with HIV, and 66% with syphilis. No cases of tuberculosis were recorded.

Migrants will now be vaccinated more actively against measles and meningococcal disease, and will also be screened for parasitic infections. From March 2026, the mandatory medical examination will include testing for hepatitis B and C, in addition to the existing checks for syphilis, HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy and drugs.

Сифилис и ВИЧ у мигрантов стали причинами их депортации из ХМАО

Роспотребнадзор принял 69 решений о нежелательности пребывания иностранцев в ХМАО. Треть депортаций связана с ВИЧ, остальные — с заболеваниями, передающимися половым путем, и другими неприятными инфекциями. Данные приведены в докладе главы регионального управления Службы Майи Соловьевой на заседании окружной думы.

«Принято 69 решений о нежелательности пребывания, что больше 2024 года в 3,4 раза», — указано в презентации к докладу. Также на слайде содержится информация о том, что у 65 мигрантов были выявлены опасные заболевания.

У 33,8% диагностирован ВИЧ, у 66% — сифилис. Случаев туберкулеза не зарегистрировано.

Сейчас мигрантов будут активнее прививать от кори и менингококка, а также проверять на паразитарные инфекции. С марта 2026 года обязательный медосмотр включает тестирование на гепатиты В и С, помимо уже существующих проверок на сифилис, ВИЧ, туберкулез, лепру и наркотики.

Russia: Migrants to undergo medical examination within 30 days of entry under proposed bill

A bill on combating illegal migration and protecting the health of citizens has been submitted to the State Duma. This was announced on her VKontakte page by Irina Yarovaya, Deputy Speaker of the lower house of parliament.

The bill proposes amendments to the law ‘On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation.’ Under current regulations, migrants must undergo a medical examination within 90 days of entering Russia. If the bill is passed, foreigners will undergo a medical examination within 30 days of entry. The authors of the initiative also propose to oblige those who have arrived in the country for more than 30 days to undergo a medical examination annually.

Foreigners will be tested for dangerous infectious diseases and HIV, as well as for drug use. Medical organisations will forward information about diseases among new arrivals to Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Internal Affairs ‘for prompt deportation.’

Migrants who evade medical examinations may also be deported from Russia. The amendments also propose increasing fines for migrants who evade medical examinations by more than 12 times, to 25,000-50,000 roubles, with the possibility of deportation at the discretion of the court.

Earlier, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin reported that administrative liability is expected to be introduced for foreign citizens who evade medical examinations.

In addition, according to the speaker of the lower house, it is expected to ‘establish increased criminal liability for the forgery of official documents certifying the absence of diseases that pose a danger to others, and their circulation.’

At the end of 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree requiring illegal migrants in Russia to regularise their status or leave the country by 30 April 2025.

Among the requirements for illegal migrants who want to remain in Russia were the submission of biometric data and medical examinations for drugs, infectious diseases and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

In addition, migrants are required to pass a test on their knowledge of the Russian language, history and laws, as well as to pay off any outstanding debts. The decree states that those who have signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence for military service will not be deported. Previous decisions on deportation, readmission, refusal of entry into Russia, undesirability of stay and reduction of the period of temporary stay in the country will not be enforced in their regard. This provision does not apply to foreigners who pose a threat to Russia’s national security.

In February last year, a public register of illegal migrants was launched in Russia. In addition, a new procedure for their expulsion from the country came into force.

Мигрантам предложили сократить срок прохождения медобследования

Законопроект о противодействии нелегальной миграции и защите здоровья граждан внесен в Государственную думу. Об этом сообщила на своей странице во «ВКонтакте» вице-спикер нижней палаты парламента Ирина Яровая.

Проектом предлагается внести поправки в закон «О правовом положении иностранных граждан в Российской Федерации». По действующим нормам, после въезда в Россию мигранты должны пройти медобследование в течение 90 дней. Если документ примут, иностранцы будут проходить медицинское освидетельствование в течение 30 дней с момента въезда. Авторы инициативы предлагают также обязать тех, кто приехал в страну более чем на 30 дней, проходить медосвидетельствование ежегодно.

Иностранцев будут проверять на наличие опасных инфекционных заболеваний и ВИЧ, а также на употребление наркотических веществ. Медицинские организации станут передавать информацию о болезнях у приезжих в Роспотребнадзор и МВД «для оперативной высылки».

За уклонение от медобследования мигранта могут также выслать из России. Поправками в том числе предлагаетсяповысить штрафы за уклонение мигрантов от медосвидетельствования более чем в 12 раз, до 25–50 тыс. руб., с возможностью выдворения на усмотрение суда.

Ранее председатель Госдумы Вячеслав Володин сообщал, что предполагается ввести административную ответственность за уклонение иностранных граждан от медосвидетельствования.

Кроме того, по словам спикера нижней палаты, предполагается «установить повышенную уголовную ответственность за подделку официальных документов об отсутствии заболеваний, представляющих опасность для окружающих, и их оборот».

В конце 2024 года президент Владимир Путин подписал указ, по которому находящиеся в России нелегальные мигранты обязаны урегулировать свой статус или покинуть территорию страны до 30 апреля 2025-го.

Среди требований к тем нелегальным мигрантам, кто хочет остаться на территории России, были указаны сдача биометрических данных и прохождение медицинского освидетельствования на наркотики, наличие инфекционных заболеваний и вируса иммунодефицита человека (ВИЧ).

Мигранты помимо этого обязаны сдать тест на знание русского языка, истории и законов России, а также погасить имеющиеся задолженности. В указе говорится, что тех, кто заключил контракт с Минобороны на прохождение военной службы, не будут депортировать. В отношении них не будут исполнены принятые ранее решения о депортации, реадмиссии, неразрешении въезда в Россию, нежелательности пребывания и сокращении сроков временного пребывания в стране. Это положение не применяется к иностранцам, которые создают угрозу для национальной безопасности России.

В феврале прошлого года в России заработал публичный реестр нелегальных мигрантов. Кроме того, вступил в силу новый порядок их высылки из страны.

Russia: 21 foreigners deported due to their HIV status in the Ryazan region

Translated with Google translate. Scroll down for original article in Russian

In the Ryazan region, the number of HIV carriers, which was sexually transmitted, has increased. The statistics were shared by the head of Rospotrebnadzor for the Ryazan region Larisa Sarayeva in an interview with GTRK “Oka”.

As of October 1, a total of 6,317 HIV carriers have been registered in the region. According to Larisa Saraeva, about 200 new cases or 20 new cases per 100,000 population are recorded every year. 90% of carriers receive therapy with antiretroviral drugs.

68% of all HIV cases are observed in the demographic range from 20 to 39 years. Indicators are above average in Pronsky, Zakharovsky, Skopinsky, Miloslavsky, Mikhailovsky and Starozhilovsky districts and Ryazan.

In addition, Rospotrebnadzor deported 21 foreigners in 2025 in connection with HIV detected in them.

В Рязанской области депортировали 21 иностранца из-за ВИЧ

В Рязанской области выросло число носителей ВИЧ, который был передан половым путём. Статистикой поделилась глава Роспотребнадзора по Рязанской области Лариса Сараева в интервью ГТРК «Ока».

По данным на 1 октября, всего в регионе зарегистрировано 6317 носителей ВИЧ. По словам Ларисы Сараевой, каждый год фиксируют около 200 новых случаев или 20 новых случаев на 100 тысяч населения. 90% носителей получают терапию антиретровирусными препаратами.

68% всех случаев ВИЧ наблюдается в демографическом диапазоне от 20 до 39 лет. Показатели выше средних в Пронский, Захаровский, Скопинский, Милославский, Михайловский и Старожиловский районы и Рязани.

Кроме того, Роспотребнадзор в 2025 году депортировал 21 иностранца в связи с выявленным у них ВИЧ.

Qatar: Alleged deportations of HIV positive Kenyans highlight stigma and rights issues

Uproar over claims of HIV+ Kenyans facing deportation in Qatar

For thousands of Kenyans working abroad, Qatar, to be precise, the promise of retaining the job comes with a lot of rules and uncertainty. Now, unverified reports of HIV+ workers facing deportation have surfaced.

Recently, there have been claims online suggesting that hundreds of Kenyans living and working in Qatar are facing deportation after testing positive for HIV. The reports, originating from diaspora-focused blogs and social media accounts, allege that over 200 Kenyans are at risk of being sent back home on medical grounds.

Though these stories have attracted a lot of attention both in Kenya and the diaspora community, it is important to note that these claims have not remained unverified. More trusted sources, such as the diaspora media, human rights, or the Qatari/ Kenyan government, have not issued an official statement regarding the claims.

Some Kenyan bloggers, such as DJ Mbayaz have posted on their TikTok claiming that all the Kenyans who are being deported went there while they were negative, claiming that they contracted it in Qatar, hence the deportation seems unfair.

This has raised wider questions about the health policies in the Gulf, the human rights of migrant workers, and the persistent stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. Advocacy groups stress the need for diplomacy.

“If these reports are true, the Kenyan government has a duty to protect its citizens abroad, while also engaging with Qatar on the importance of upholding human rights,” one Nairobi-based HIV activist told this writer.

Qatar, like several other countries, has always required a mandatory medical screening, including checks for tuberculosis, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS, for incoming migrants before issuing residency permits.

If one is found positive for any of the above, they are automatically denied work permits. The human rights organization has criticized these policies as they don’t align with the international standards on non-discrimination of people living with HIV.

What remains unclear is how these rules apply to migrant workers who contract the disease while already living in Qatar.

Whether or not the reported deportations are taking place, the controversy highlights an ongoing tension.

It underlines how stigma is continuing to shape policies in ways that can harm public health. The conversations have been triggered about how migrant workers with HIV are being treated.

Until official clarification emerges, what is clear is that the issue has struck a nerve with Kenyans both at home and in the diaspora.

HIV positive Turkmen man fears persecution and death if deported

An HIV-positive gay man who fled Turkmenistan, one of the most repressive countries in the world, risks being deported, imprisoned and tortured, he and several non-governmental groups told AFP.

Emir — whose name has been changed for safety reasons — fled the ex-Soviet Central Asian country in 2018 for fear of being persecuted for his homosexuality.

He then found a job in a territory in Europe that is not internationally recognised.

To avoid compromising his safety and that of his relatives back home, AFP has chosen to keep his exact location secret, but was able to interview him in person in July.

The 30-year-old said he tested positive for HIV in 2024.

He showed the results of medical lab tests, which AFP was able to authenticate, and said he had no access to antiviral treatment.

“My condition is getting worse. My body and stomach are hurting, I have pain under my ribs,” he said.

“I can’t sleep anymore, I sleep four or five hours, thinking about my health every day. I don’t want to get AIDS,” he added in a faint voice.

Mortal threat

Because of his HIV-positive status, Emir said he had been fired from his job in his current place of residence, lost his income, and now faces deportation to his home country.

In Turkmenistan, he said, he would be arrested: “Because of my illness, they will torture me, abuse me, and kill me.”

Emir is unable to leave the place where he is now because he would have to first return to Turkmenistan to renew his passport, a photograph of which he provided to AFP.

Swiss nonprofit Life4me+ sent him six months of antiviral treatment before stopping it due to the exhaustion of their “remaining medication stocks,” the organisation’s president, Alex Schneider said.

Emir then received a few irregular shipments of medication, but for almost four months now he has been without medication.

On three occasions, the health authorities in the territory where he is based have refused to provide him with treatment.

A local LGBTQ rights group said it was currently unable to provide Emir with the necessary medication for financial and legal reasons.

In an email to AFP, it said it had helped find Emir a psychologist who diagnosed him with “severe anxiety and depression symptoms with thoughts of suicide”.

‘Place forgotten by God’

In Turkmenistan, homosexuality is punishable by jail under the criminal code provision prohibiting “sodomy”.

HIV-positive people, instead of receiving treatment, regularly find themselves imprisoned and tortured, according to several human rights groups.

The nonprofits and exiled independent media reported waves of arrests targeting LGBTQ people several times in recent years.

People detained as part of the repressions have been reported to disappear into the prison system and held incommunicado.

Turkmenistan — a gas-rich desert country rich officially home to seven million people — is considered one of the most reclusive in the world.

Internet access is severely limited, and no independent nonprofits are allowed to operate there.

“It’s a place forgotten by God where people suffer terrible things,” said Evi Chayka, founder of EQUAL PostOst, a rights group helping LGBTQ people who are victims of repression in the former communist bloc.

According to reliable sources familiar with the situation on the ground, speaking on condition of anonymity, the unrecognised territory where Emir is located does not have a “formal asylum framework” which prevents him from being taken into care by international bodies.

Stuck in the maze, the young man said he still hopes that someone will find a way to help him.

Even if, he added, “thousands of other people are suffering” throughout the world.

Global study reveals 50 countries still enforce HIV-related travel restrictions

A new global study presented this week at the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Kigali (IAS 2025) has revealed that 50 countries around the world continue to enforce HIV-related travel and residence restrictions, in clear violation of international human rights principles.

The data, shared by the HIV Justice Network through its new platform Positive Destinations, highlights the persistence of discriminatory laws and policies that prevent people living with HIV from freely travelling, working, studying, or settling in many parts of the world.

Despite progress – 83 countries now have no HIV-specific travel restrictions, and many others have adopted more inclusive approaches – 17 countries still impose severe measures such as outright entry bans, mandatory testing, and deportation. These include Bhutan, Brunei, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. Migrants and students are often disproportionately affected, with some unaware of the rules until after testing or disclosure, resulting in forced returns, loss of income, and separation from families.

Another 33 countries – including Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore – have partial restrictions. These include requirements for HIV testing in visa applications, discretionary decisions based on perceived healthcare costs, and reduced access to essential services. Although these policies may appear neutral on the surface, they continue to disadvantage people living with HIV.

“These restrictions are rooted in outdated public health thinking and perpetuate stigma,” said Edwin J Bernard, HIV Justice Network’s Executive Director. “They obstruct access to healthcare, education, and family life, especially for migrants and refugees.”

Click on the image to download the poster

In 2024, Positive Destinations documented several cases of deportation based solely on HIV status: Kuwait deported over 100 people, Russia’s Dagestan region deported nine, and Libya deported two. Such practices are increasingly being challenged by legal action. In Canada, for example, a court case led by the HIV Legal Network contests the “excessive demand” clause of immigration law, arguing it violates the country’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

However, policy reform has been uneven. Australia raised its health cost threshold for visa eligibility, slightly easing access to temporary stays, but permanent residency remains elusive for many people with HIV. A recent case saw an Italian teacher denied residency due solely to his HIV-positive status.

The study also underscores how HIV-related migration barriers often intersect with other forms of criminalisation and discrimination. In Uzbekistan and Russia, HIV criminalisation laws are paired with mandatory HIV testing for migrants. In the U.S., HIV-positive and LGBTQ+ asylum seekers continue to face mistreatment in detention centres. And in a tragic case in Turkey, a Syrian trans woman was reportedly deported after her HIV status was disclosed and later killed upon return.

The authors of the study call for urgent action: “Eliminating these harmful policies is essential to ending AIDS, achieving universal health coverage, and upholding the dignity and rights of people living with HIV everywhere,” said Bernard.

Positive Destinations, which hosts the updated Global Database on HIV-Specific Travel and Residence Restrictions, is available at www.positivedestinations.info

EP0623 Addressing HIV-related travel restrictions: Progress and challenges in eliminating discriminatory policies by Edwin J Bernard, Sylvie Beaumont, Elliot Hatt, and Sofía Várguez was presented at IAS2025 by Brent Allan at the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science, Kigali, Rwanda.

France: Young man with HIV detained without treatment faces expulsion, despite years of residency

For two months, the 23-year-old man has been detained at the CRA in Cornebarrieu (Haute-Garonne), where he has not received his HIV treatment. The associations are asking for a reassessment of his file. Politis was able to reach him.

His voice is weakened, almost inaudible. He seems exhausted. Joes arrived in France at the age of 11, then was adopted by his grandmother. He has 22 today. All his life is here. He went to college and then high school in the North, did two years of art school and then multiplied odd jobs, in catering and sales. In the meantime, he learns that he has HIV. He should have filed his birth certificate at the age of 18 to be officially regularized but he forgot and then covid-19 arrived and the administrations remained closed. He receives an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory).

“I didn’t really take it seriously. Instead of challenging her, I preferred to work, keep a low profile, thinking that things would work out, “says the young man. “If my birth certificate had been filed, they could have registered me in the civil registry and I would be French. From there, everything degrades. The man, detained at the administrative detention center (CRA) in Cornebarrieu, near Toulouse, was to be expelled by plane on Monday, June 23 to his country of origin in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A country he doesn’t know.

International aid stopped

To avoid being sent back, Cimade advised him to apply for asylum as a matter of urgency to the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Ofpra). The aim was to re-evaluate his case. A new element was added, as Julie Aufaure, in charge of detention at Cimade, explains: “Care for people with HIV in the DRC is a little better than it used to be. But doubts have returned with the decision by the United States to withdraw its international aid, particularly on health issues”.

More and more foreign nationals living with HIV are being refused entry to the country.It was the Pepfar programme (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which financed a very large part of access to treatment in developing countries – particularly the DRC – with almost 54%. However, “this decision is not yet measurable, but there are major concerns on the ground. And the professionals in the field know that this is going to become a real problem very, very quickly”, continues Julie Aufaure.

This concern is shared by Adrien Cornec, head of mission for the AIDS charity Aides. He explains that France has had a right to residence on medical grounds since 1990. “But for some years now, the authorities have been calling it into question. We’re seeing more and more foreign nationals living with HIV being refused residence. In particular, people who have been refused residency following applications for renewal. In other words, people who have been here for several years.

He adds: “From one day to the next, these people find themselves in an irregular situation, obliged to leave French territory and go to a country where they haven’t lived for long and are not guaranteed access to care.

“We were rejected everywhere”

Julie Aufaure admits that Joes’ situation is complicated. “We’ve been rejected everywhere, unfortunately, because the prefectural authorities and the European Court of Human Rights base their decision on the decision of the Office’s doctor, who says that the treatment exists.

Joes, for his part, ‘hopes from the bottom of his heart’ for a positive response from Ofpra. Especially as he has been subjected to mockery in the detention centre since his arrival on 6 April. Medical confidentiality has been broken. He has been subjected to ‘moral and physical harassment’ by both ‘officers and detainees’. According to him, the detention centre officers spread the information to everyone in the centre. Some felt sorry for them, others laughed. His fellow detainee added that this stigmatisation was recurrent.

Apart from his roommate, with whom he talks, the young man has withdrawn into himself. “It’s still really a wolf’s world here. I prefer to be on my own. People can fight over a piece of bread or a cigarette. It’s a disgrace”, says Joes.

Worse still, he says he has never received his treatment since his arrest. When he arrived, he had a blood test and a check-up a fortnight later. But since then, radio silence. ‘They nearly put me on the plane, in this state, without me having had the treatment…’. As he is HIV-positive, it is essential that he takes his medication every day. The absence of treatment can have serious effects on his health, such as a drop in his immunity, making him extremely vulnerable to other illnesses. According to the Cimade employee, this is a case that ‘borders on the legal’, but she assures us that the procedure is long and going well.

Action still possible

If the asylum application is rejected or deemed inadmissible, Julie Aufaure plans to lodge an appeal with the national court for the right of asylum (CNDA) and ask the administrative court to suspend the deportation until the court has made its decision, but ‘that’s pretty much the last option for him’, she says.

Adrien Cornec says he is very concerned about ‘these refusals of residence and their accommodations’. Aides and the other associations are calling for the application of the decree of 5 January 2017, which states that ‘in all developing countries, it is therefore not yet possible to consider that HIV-positive people can have access to antiretroviral treatment or to the medical care required for all carriers of an HIV infection as soon as they are diagnosed’.

The Aides representative alerted Senator Anne Souyris. The ecologist sent letters to the prefects of the Pyrenees and Haute-Garonne, and also directly to the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau. “We don’t expel people who can’t be treated in their own country. There’s a political issue behind it”, she told Politis.

According to the senator, this is a real ‘death sentence’ for Joes, given that international funding has stopped. The senator goes further than the individual case and calls for all the people who could be affected to be automated: “There should be a circular (…). This should also be a textbook case for managing this situation.

Dominican Republic: New health protocol requires migrants to pay for care and face deportation after treatment

Rights group condemns Dominican Republic new health protocol for discriminating migrants.

Amnesty International condemned Thursday the Dominican Republic’s new health protocol that requires migrants to provide documentation and pay fees to access public health services. The group argued that the new protocol is discriminatory and may violate international human rights standards.

On April 6, the government announced a new health protocol consisting of 15 migration measures. Apart from requiring documentation and fees, a migrant patient who received medical care, relating to emergencies, hospitalization or childbirth, will be repatriated to their home country aftercare.

The group voiced strong concerns against the discriminatory policy, describing the protocol as “reinforcing racism in migration policies.” The group also argued that the practice threatens the right to health, privacy, and physical integrity, by deterring people at risk, especially pregnant women, children, and survivors of violence, from seeking the healthcare they urgently need. According to the group, the protocol violates the country’s own constitutional principle on free and universal access to health enjoyed by marginalizing migrants, undocumented Haitians, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and Dominicans of Haitian descent.

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, said:

President Luis Abinader must opt for measures that strengthen the health system. Implementing a system that exposes migrants to deportation after receiving medical care not only violates the right to health but also dehumanizes undocumented persons and will, in all probability, deter them from seeking hospital care, thus putting lives at risk.

Collective expulsion of aliens may amount to violations of multiple international conventions including the non-refoulement principle under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Convention against Torture. National laws on expulsion on the basis of national origin may also engage with the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

On April 21, Amnesty International issued an urgent action demanding an end to the collective expulsion of Haitian migrants and the repeal of discriminatory migration policies in the Dominican Republic, stating that “since October 2024, more than 180,000 people have been deported.” In their urgent action, Amnesty International urged the Dominican population to reject these cruel and racist measures by action.

Escalating gang violence in Haiti has prompted many Haitians to flee to the Dominican Republic. On April 22, UN Special Representative Maria Isabel Salvador warned the Security Council that the political chaos, gang violence and displacement that follows are “approaching a point of no return,” urging for stronger international intervention.