Congolese Montrealers have plans upended by Canada's Ebola travel restrictions

Canada's public health agency is temporarily blocking visitors from some countries in an attempt to curb the Ebola outbreak.

An international student from the Democratic Republic of Congo says she was blocked from returning to Montreal due to Ebola-related travel restrictions.

Merdie Sanga says she had believed the measure wouldn’t apply to her since she hadn’t been to Congo in almost a year.

The Université du Québec à Montréal student was vacationing in France when she received a letter from Canada’s immigration department telling her that some travel documents were being suspended for foreign nationals from Congo, South Sudan and Uganda due to concerns over the virus.

• Public Health Agency of Canada defends decision to restrict travel from Ebola-affected countries

Sanga says she has submitted paperwork to the government showing why she falls outside the scope of the measures, and is hopeful she’ll be allowed to return to Montreal soon.

She is one of several members of Montreal’s Congolese community who say the new restrictions have upended their plans in expensive and sometimes heartbreaking ways.

They include musician Lionel Kizaba, who says he spent $2,500 on a plane ticket to Kinshasa for his brother’s wedding, which he can no longer attend.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2026.