(Ottawa) If the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah were to escalate, Canada would likely not be able to repatriate everyone in the region, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned.
“Yes, we are considering some preparations, but it is certain that if there is [une escalade]if there is violence that [déferle] “In Lebanon, we may not be able to evacuate everyone,” he said on the sidelines of an announcement in Ontario on Monday.
“So the responsibility for all Canadians now is to do everything they can to return to Canada […] while the airports are still open,” added the Prime Minister, recalling that Ottawa has been issuing this warning to its citizens for months.
PHOTO SPENCER COLBY, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Justin Trudeau
About 30 members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) were recently deployed to the region, including Cyprus, to assist the Canadian embassy in Beirut with emergency planning, the Department of National Defence reported last week.
However, there is “never a guarantee that the Canadian government will evacuate Canadians in a crisis situation,” and “Canadians should not rely on the Government of Canada for assisted departures or evacuations,” Global Affairs Canada said.
According to recent data from the Department, there were nearly 22,000 people registered as Canadians in Lebanon. However, the number of people there is likely to be significantly higher, most likely more than 50,000, according to federal government estimates.
The Canadian government also decided last Wednesday to evacuate the children of its diplomats and their guardians from the Canadian embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, and to temporarily resettle them in third countries.