LibDem Euro-MP launches campaign to end HIV discrimination

11.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Apr 2008

Sarah recently visited Lighthouse West London in Notting Hill, the HIV/AIDs support service that is part of the Terence Higgins Trust, with Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, London LibDem Euro-spokesman Jonathan Fryer, and Merlene Emerson who is LibDem candidate for London West Central for the London Assembly.

London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has launched an online campaign to end the US policy of virtually refusing travel visas to people with HIV, a policy that has no public health rationale.

Currently the EU is involved in visa negotiations with the US authorities to secure visa-free travel (visa waiver) for EU citizens from all of its 27 member states. Sarah Ludford has called for action to use this opportunity to get genuine equality for all EU citizens including those with HIV or AIDS currently refused the right to travel freely across the Atlantic.

Sarah is leading a campaign of MEPs and EU citizens to pressure the EU institutions to take action, and is calling on people to add their names to the petition. She said:

"The greater the number of people who support the call to end this unfair discrimination, the less the problem can be ignored by European policy-makers. The persistence of the travel ban just feeds prejudice and ignorance."

"EU equalities laws will be meaningless if the Commission and Council fail to insist that the US treat all EU citizens fairly. They can only redeem their 15-year tolerance of this gross discrimination by taking a firm line in the new negotiations."

The petition can be read in full and signed up to here:

http://www.sarahludfordmep.org.uk/pages/endHIVdiscrimination.html