Jonathan Likongo, a student at Université de Montréal, had originally planned to visit his family in Kinshasa this summer after two years in Montreal. However, due to concerns about potential travel restrictions, he decided to stay in Canada.
His decision turned out to be wise as Canada implemented temporary measures in response to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa. These measures included restrictions on entry for certain foreign nationals and a ban on those who had recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the past 21 days. The restrictions are scheduled to be in place until August 29.
Likongo, a member of the Congolese Students’ Association at Université de Montréal, mentioned that the timing of the restrictions has created challenges for students who had intended to travel during the summer break without prior knowledge of the imposed limitations.
Impact on Students
Several universities in Quebec have reported that hundreds of students could be impacted by these measures, including those already enrolled and those planning to start programs in the upcoming fall semester.
For instance, Université de Montréal has 170 students from the D.R.C. or Sudan admitted for the fall term and 182 individuals from these countries already enrolled in programs. Université Laval and Université du Québec à Montréal also have significant numbers of affected students.
The universities are actively working with students to address the challenges posed by the restrictions. They are offering various solutions, such as allowing undergraduate students to adjust their registration by August 29 and providing flexibility for graduate students to commence their programs at a later date.
Anticipating Future Developments
Students who are currently outside Canada are eagerly awaiting updates beyond August 29. Health Canada has stated that it is closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak and will make decisions regarding the continuation or modification of the existing measures in collaboration with international partners.
Likongo expressed disappointment at missing the opportunity to reunite with his family in Kinshasa and remains hopeful for a resolution in the near future.
He emphasized the desire for the disease to be eradicated so that families can be reunited without further disruptions.