If you are going to Australia, travel visa bans are probably one of the most disappointing problems that you can come across. As it turns out, there are actually many grounds for being denied entry to the country. And with Australia reviewing its immigration policies, it is likely that there will be more such bans to come in the future.
Of all of these travel bans, there quite a handful that has generated a good deal of controversy. And in here, bans for health reasons have been quite in the news lately. It can be recalled that when the SARS and the bird flu epidemic hit the mainstream news, Australia issued a travel ban on people coming from those countries which have been suspected of harboring the diseases.
Now, health travel bans are again in the news, this time around, with regards to those who have tested positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). In here, those wishing to immigrate into the country who are found out to be HIV positive are prevented from entering. It should be noted though that temporary visa applicants, like tourists, are not required to present their medical record to the immigration authorities. However, those wishing to get permanent residency are required to take HIV tests as part of their medical examination.
It should be noted that the travel ban on HIV positive people in Australia is nothing new. In fact this one was the same law that was enacted by the Australian government when initial cases of HIV infections were reported more than 30 years ago. However, even today, many people are clamoring for the ban to be removed.
According to some of the supporters of the move to repeal the ban, much of the contents that direct it were written more than thirty years ago, when HIV first came out to light. Thus, they said that these are now inappropriate for today's situations, where a lot has already been known about HIV to dispel the misconceptions about it. They also asserted that these are not adequate grounds to restrict entry for these people.
One of the situations that they pointed out is with regards to refugee seekers, some of whom came from countries that has a high number of HIV cases. Proponents argue that the ban runs contrary to Australia's pledged mission to help asylum seekers. They also said that refusing entry solely based on HIV results is like condemning these refugees to death.
The Australian government is now closely reviewing these travel bans for changes that might be done to them.
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