HIV-positive foreigners allowed to enter Ukraine

HIV infection was removed from the list of grounds for refusal of Ukraine’s immigration permission.

As noted in the Ukraine’s Health Ministry letter of response sent to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights following her inquiry, the Order No. 329 of June 11, 2015 removed HIV infection from the list of grounds for refusal of Ukraine’s immigration permission. The amendments to the list came into force on July 10, 2015.

Thus, the HIV-positive foreigners and stateless persons now can freely immigrate to Ukraine, seek for employment without excessive and unjustified obstacles, and so on.

It is noted that the ban on immigration to Ukraine for HIV-positive people contained direct discrimination, violated the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, contradicted the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, and was not an effective tool in preventing the spread of HIV.

The Ukraine’s Ombudsperson highlights that 140 progressive countries, apart from Ukraine, have already abolished such bans.