>> Canada is refusing entry visas to Ugandan LGBTI activists for Toronto WorldPride
Les services d’immigration canadiens craignent que ces militants profitent de l’occasion pour réclamer un asile politique. Le porte-parole du ministère a d’ailleurs assuré qu’il n’y avait pas de discrimination, et que les critères d’obtention du visa était les mêmes pour tous. Mais, ces personnes n’ont aucune famille sur le territoire, et n’ont pas non plus justifié des preuves financières nécessaires pour pouvoir assumer les frais du séjour.
Les militants voulaient ainsi participer à la Conférence sur les droits de l’homme, prévue pendant la WorldPride qui aura lieu du 20 au 29 juin prochain, et recevra quelques 160 conférenciers et 400 délégués de plus de 40 pays.
Pour le moment, seul Frank Mugisha, qui a reçu le Prix Robert F. Kennedy des droits de l’homme et le Prix Rafto pour son activisme, aura obtenu le précieux document.
Violation des droits en contradiction avec la célèbre charte d’hospitalité compte tenu du caractère particulier de ces personnes qui risquent la prison à vie dans leur pays ?
>> Canadian immigration officials fear a group of Ugandan LGBTI rights activists want to travel to Toronto to participate in WorldPride 2014 in order to claim asylum and so are denying them entry.
The reasons given for denying them entry visas include a lack of travel histories, being unable to prove they had the money to maintain themselves in Canada, and family ties in Canada and Uganda.
Officials told eight of the activists that they did not believe they had a legitimate business purpose in Canada.
The Ugandans were seeking to take part in the WorldPride Human Rights Conference which will feature 160 speakers and 400 delegates from more than 40 countries.
So far only one Ugandan has been given a visa to attend the conference, and that is Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award winner Frank Mugisha – the conference’s keynote speaker.
Mushiga already had a multiple entry visa from previous travels.
A spokeswoman for the Canadian Immigration Department told the Toronto Star that it didn’t discriminate in giving out visas and considered applicants on the same factors regardless of where they were coming from.
‘Decisions are made by highly trained public servants. All applications from around the world are assessed equally against exactly the same criteria, regardless of their country of origin, she told the Star.
‘Visa officers look at many factors in assessing whether an applicant is a genuine temporary resident.’
