Quebec university publishes guidelines for staff, students travelling to the U.S. Montreal

Université de Montréal has issued a series of guidelines to students and staff who will be travelling to the United States for academic purposes.

Rector Daniel Jutras says the guidelines were issued on Thursday in response to numerous questions from students and staff about U.S. travel concerns amid a number of reports of detentions and denial of entry into that country in recent weeks.

Jutras says while there’s no specific incident involving the university community, it felt the need to respond to concerns raised.

The university advises students and staff to tell the institution when they are travelling and discuss potential risks before leaving.

The memo includes advice to exercise caution when travelling south of the Canada-U.S. border and a reminder that U.S. customs officers have the right to inspect electronic devices upon entering the U.S.

Members are also advised to protect their data by ensuring their devices don’t contain sensitive academic information and changing passwords if they are provided to customs.

Jutras said in an interview the university policy was adopted in 2023 and encompasses all international travel by scholars, researchers and students going abroad — and includes situations like sanitary concerns or climate-related issues in regions where they are going.