Page - 299 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

CHAPTER C-5 The Right of Citizens Abroad to Return During a Pandemic* Yves Le Bouthillier** and Delphine Nakache*** Abstract To prevent the spread of COVID-19 Canada has, like most other states, temporarily limited access to its territory. It has, as requested by international law, allowed the return of its own citizens. However, in contrast to other countries, Canada has opted for a more restrictive approach by requesting air carriers to deny boarding to any passen- gers abroad, citizen or not, with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. In this article, we assess the legality of Canada’s approach regarding the return of citizens, both under international human rights law and Canadian constitutional law. Résumé Le droit de retour des citoyens durant une pandémie Pour empêcher la propagation de la COVID-19, le Canada, comme la plupart des autres pays, a temporairement limité l’accès à son terri- toire. Il a toutefois, comme le prescrit le droit international, autorisé * The second part of this article draws on: Yves Le Bouthillier & Delphine Nakache, “Is it Constitutional to Screen Canadians Trying to Board Flights Home?”, Policy  Options (7 April 2020), online: <policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/april-2020/is-it- constitutional-to-screen-canadians-trying-to-board-flights-home>. ** Full Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa. *** Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa.