Wednesday, March 25, 2026
ADVT 
National

More than 5,000 Canadians have fled Middle East, Anand says demand for help dropping

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Mar, 2026 09:35 AM
  • More than 5,000 Canadians have fled Middle East, Anand says demand for help dropping

Global Affairs Canada says it has helped more than 5,000 Canadians leave the Middle East since the latest conflict began, and demand for evacuation support is now falling off.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is urging Canadians thinking of leaving the Middle East to do so and says the number of daily calls for help is now half what it was last week.

Her department says more than 4,300 Canadians, permanent residents and their relatives fleeing the region arrived in Canada between March 4 and March 8, through direct and indirect routes.

Another 871 people left the region for a safe third country such as Turkey, according to Global Affairs Canada.

As of Sunday, less than five per cent of the nearly 110,000 Canadians registered in the region had sought help to leave.

Global Affairs Canada says it is not aware of any Canadians killed or injured in the violence that started with American airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Picture Courtesy: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

MORE National ARTICLES

Protesters demand body cameras after fatal shooting of 15-year-old Nooran Rezayi

Protesters demand body cameras after fatal shooting of 15-year-old Nooran Rezayi
Protesters gathered for a second time on Sunday, after a vigil was held for the boy in the same area the day before.

Protesters demand body cameras after fatal shooting of 15-year-old Nooran Rezayi

CBSA self-service kiosks outage resolved after causing delays at customs in airports

CBSA self-service kiosks outage resolved after causing delays at customs in airports
Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon said the government was closely monitoring the issue and urged travellers to check their flight status on the airline's website before going to the airport.

CBSA self-service kiosks outage resolved after causing delays at customs in airports

Voting on tentative deal ends for Alberta teachers a week before strike deadline

Voting on tentative deal ends for Alberta teachers a week before strike deadline
Union president Jason Schilling says teachers aren't taking the vote lightly, as a strike would disrupt classes for over 700,000 students.

Voting on tentative deal ends for Alberta teachers a week before strike deadline

U.S. outdoor school modifies coastal B.C. camping application following outcry

U.S. outdoor school modifies coastal B.C. camping application following outcry
Hugh Braker, a member of the First Nations Summit executive team, was among the First Nations leaders who expressed concerns about the plan. He told The Canadian Press earlier this month that he worried about allowing outsiders to access to the remote areas, citing both environmental and political concerns.

U.S. outdoor school modifies coastal B.C. camping application following outcry

Carney returns to Canada from U.K. trip of meetings and rugby

Carney returns to Canada from U.K. trip of meetings and rugby
The Conservatives have been critical of Carney's frequent foreign trips, saying that they aren't generating tangible outcomes and the prime minister should be more focused on domestic issues like crime and affordability. 

Carney returns to Canada from U.K. trip of meetings and rugby

'Stand with us': Indigenous artists tapped by big companies for Orange Shirt Day

'Stand with us': Indigenous artists tapped by big companies for Orange Shirt Day
Non-Indigenous corporations and companies have also collaborated with Indigenous artists to develop T-shirts for the day, with proceeds going to Indigenous organizations.

'Stand with us': Indigenous artists tapped by big companies for Orange Shirt Day