Temporary measures introduced by Canada to guard against the importation of Ebola have left Congolese international students in Montreal caught in a difficult bind. The rules restrict entry for foreign nationals who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan, the countries at the centre of the current outbreak, and they are forcing students to weigh a trip home against the risk of not being allowed back.
One Congolese student who has spent the past two years living and studying in Montreal was supposed to return home this summer. Instead he decided to stay in Canada, worried that leaving now would prevent him from coming back to continue his studies. He said his family was devastated by the decision, which kept him away at a time when there was a pressing family matter in Kinshasa.
The student said he now does not know when he will be able to return home at all. Caught between his obligations to his family and his commitment to his education, he described a dilemma that has no clear resolution while the border measures remain in force.
The restrictions were put in place because of the Ebola risks tied to the affected African countries. Under the measures, foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan are barred from entering Canada, a step aimed at reducing the chance that a case could be carried into the country.
The student warned that for those who are still abroad, the stakes are even higher than for someone like him who is already in Canada. The group affected includes students who are already enrolled at institutions in Quebec as well as others who had been expected to begin their programs this fall, all of whom now risk being unable to reach their campuses.
The federal restrictions are currently set to remain in place until August 29. That deadline has become the central source of anxiety, with the biggest question for the students being what will happen after that date, and whether the measures will be lifted, extended or replaced with something else.
Universities have said they are working with the affected students on a range of options, including deferring their admissions, allowing them to start their studies remotely, or arriving late once they are able to travel, depending on each student's situation. For his part, the student in Montreal said he understands why the government imposed the restriction, even as he lives with its consequences.