Jonathan Likongo, a student at the Université de Montréal, had to alter his summer plans to visit his family in Kinshasa due to concerns about potential travel restrictions. Canada implemented temporary measures in response to the Ebola outbreak, including denying entry to foreign nationals who had recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These restrictions, in place until August 29, have impacted many students, including those from affected countries enrolled in Quebec universities.
Université de Montréal has 170 incoming students from the D.R.C. or Sudan for the fall semester, along with 182 existing students from these regions. Similarly, Université Laval and Université du Québec à Montréal have a significant number of affected students and are working on individual solutions to address the challenges posed by the travel restrictions.
As the August 29 deadline approaches, students stranded outside Canada are left wondering about the future. Health Canada is closely monitoring the situation and will decide on further actions based on the evolving circumstances and international collaboration. Likongo, like many others, is eagerly awaiting a resolution to the situation, hoping for a swift end to the outbreak to reunite with his family in Kinshasa.
