Monday, March 30, 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

Local emergency declared over B.C. fire that shut highway as evacuation orders expand

Local emergency declared over B.C. fire that shut highway as evacuation orders expand
The Fraser Valley Regional District says it has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for the Coquihalla Lakes Lodge and the Coquihalla Summit Snowmobile Club site due to the Mine Creek fire that shut the highway on Wednesday.

Local emergency declared over B.C. fire that shut highway as evacuation orders expand

Ottawa must cancel or significantly reform temporary foreign worker program, says Eby

Ottawa must cancel or significantly reform temporary foreign worker program, says Eby
Eby says one reason B.C. is facing "significant fiscal headwinds" is because of "very high unemployment rates" among young people, linked to both the temporary foreign worker program and the international student program.

Ottawa must cancel or significantly reform temporary foreign worker program, says Eby

'It makes people want to read': Stores see sales spike after Alberta book ban

'It makes people want to read': Stores see sales spike after Alberta book ban
Kelly Dyer with Audreys Books in Edmonton said the store has noticed a jump in sales since July, when the province announced the ban on books with explicit sexual content.

'It makes people want to read': Stores see sales spike after Alberta book ban

Canadian among injured in deadly Lisbon streetcar crash

Canadian among injured in deadly Lisbon streetcar crash
At least 17 people died in the wreck, with another 21 injured.

Canadian among injured in deadly Lisbon streetcar crash

Head of hard-right U.S. think tank no longer set to meet Carney's cabinet

Head of hard-right U.S. think tank no longer set to meet Carney's cabinet
Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts was on an initial list of speakers expected to address cabinet today as part of a session on striking a new economic and security relationship with the United States.

Head of hard-right U.S. think tank no longer set to meet Carney's cabinet

Vancouver officials to present safety report following festival attack

Vancouver officials to present safety report following festival attack
Lo's defence counsel and Crown lawyers concluded their legal arguments last month over the question of whether he is fit to stand trial.

Vancouver officials to present safety report following festival attack