Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Friday July 10, 6:34 pm EST
Delphine Dewulf
The child, Nikki, was adopted in Thailand by Canadian missionary Roy Rideout and his wife, who declared their daughter's HIV infection to the Canadian authorities.
Although she has been in perfect health for three years, she was refused a visa to enter Canada on medical grounds.
The Rideout family ignored the decision and departed on June 20 for a six-month visit to Canada with their six children - three of whom are adopted. Nikki was stopped in Amsterdam on her way to Canada and forced to await permission from Canadian authorities before attempting to enter the country. On Thursday, federal Immigration Minister Lucienne Robillard finally issued Nikki a permit to enter Canada on humanitarian grounds.
Rideout believes that without pressure and the media exposure it would have never happened.
"The only reason we got the permit is because we took the risk to come. We thought we had the right to bring Nikki to Canada. Also, the Canadian embassy had approved her adoption, knowing from the beginning she was HIV-positive. I'm still baffled by what happened," said Rideout.
Canada reserves the right to refuse entry to visitors who could pose a danger to public security or become a burden on the socialized health system.
"We can assume the immigration officers were nervous thinking of the cost of an AIDS treatment. Also, the problem they have to face is that many visitors stay here forever," declared Eric Tetrault, a spokesman for the immigration department.
According to the Canadian HIV-AIDS legal network, Canada's immigration policy is not flexible enough regarding HIV-positive candidates.
"Immigration officers should not reject automatically HIV-positive candidates. The system should take into account the circumstances and balance the costs and benefits of an immigration procedure," said Ralf Jurgens the network executive director.
The Rideouts said they only intended to visit some family and friends, not to settle in Canada. They are Pentecost Canadian missionaries who immigrated to Thailand 14 years ago and established an institution there, welcoming 23 HIV-positive young orphans.
"We don't want to call it an orphanage but a home, "Agape home" because Agape means unconditional love," added Roy Rideout.
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