The government of the Russian Federation, with the participation of the expert community, “is working on the issue of removing restrictive activities for the entry and stay of foreigners with HIV in Russia”. This is stated in a letter signed by the Deputy Minister of Health, Sergei Kraevoy, addressed to the East Europe and Central Asia Union of People Living with HIV (ECUO). The letter was prepared jointly with the specialists of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA) and Rospotrebnadzor.
The letter notes that the Russian government has already discussed the problem of border crossing by HIV-positive foreigners. In 2018, Rospotrebnadzor was delegated the authority to revoke the deportation decision, if the PLWH have close relatives in Russia, they adhere to treatment and have undetectable viral load.
“The issue of further lifting of restrictive measures for the entry and stay of patients with HIV in the Russian Federation is being worked out with the involvement of an expert community”, the Ministry of Health said in a letter.
It’s worth reminding that 35 leaders of non-governmental organizations from Eastern Europe and Central Asia signed an appeal to the chairman of the government of the Russian Federation with a request to abolish the provision on the deportation of HIV-positive foreigners, obsolete and senseless from the point of view of epidemiological control.
“Regardless of the progress with cross-border agreements on access to HIV treatment, we ask you to take under special control, if possible and as soon as possible, within the framework of the Government’s strategy for combating the spread of HIV, the revision of terms and conditions for entry / exit and residence of foreign citizens infected with HIV in the Russian Federation, supporting the initiative of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in this matter, ensuring that actions to counteract the epidemic are really effective, and allow migrants access to health services, while remaining in the legal field”, the letter to Dmitriy Medvedev requested.