Canada Announces Travel Ban for Foreigners Who Visited DR Congo Over Ebola Fears
- Canada's Public Health Agency announced new temporary border restrictions targeting foreign nationals who recently travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo
- The measures, which took effect on July 20, align Canada's border policy with similar restrictions already in place in the United States and Mexico
- The decision puts Canada at odds with the WHO, which has consistently warned against travel bans during Ebola outbreaks
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Canada has barred foreign nationals who visited the Democratic Republic of Congo within the previous 21 days from entering the country, citing public health concerns over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the central African nation.
Canada's Public Health Agency announced the temporary border measures on Sunday, with restrictions taking effect at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 20.
Source: Getty Images
Agency spokesman Mark Johnson confirmed in an email that the overall risk to Canadians remained low, but said the policy was designed to bring Canada's border controls in line with comparable measures already adopted by the United States and Mexico.
Canada's move contradicts WHO guidance
The decision places Canada in direct conflict with the World Health Organisation, which has repeatedly advised against imposing travel or trade restrictions on Congo during the outbreak.
The WHO argues that such bans fuel stigma, disrupt humanitarian access, and ultimately make outbreaks harder to contain.
"People from affected regions and African communities have faced unfair suspicion," the WHO said in a statement last month. "The spread of Ebola is not determined by nationality or ethnicity."
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has taken a similar position, cautioning that restrictions on travel from Congo can interfere with aid efforts while providing limited practical benefit in preventing international spread.
As of July 15, Congo had recorded more than 2,100 Ebola cases, with at least 828 deaths. The disease spreads primarily through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals, and the WHO has assessed the risk of the outbreak spreading internationally as low.
Fines for non-compliance and prior restrictions
Canada's new rules carry significant financial penalties for those who breach them. Individual violators face fines of up to CAD$150,000, while corporations could be penalised as much as CAD$1.5 million.
Canada had previously suspended the processing of immigration documents for residents from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, despite neither of those two countries having active confirmed cases at the time.
Uganda had reported no new cases in the month prior to the suspension, and South Sudan had recorded none at all.
The United States introduced comparable entry restrictions last week, barring American citizens who had been in Congo within the prior 21 days from returning via commercial aviation. Seven American aid workers who had been assisting with the outbreak response in Congo are currently quarantining at a facility in Kenya.
Below is the X post by Reuters on Canada's ban on foreigners who visited Congo.
Canada seeks skilled tradespeople
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Canada has opened its doors to skilled tradespeople from Ghana and across the world.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) urged qualified tradespeople with the right training, credentials and experience to explore the country's available immigration pathways.
Source: YEN.com.gh
