āHaiti's Humanitarian Crisis & Gang Violenceā
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
159.95914
Summary
Assisted Departure for the Most Vulnerable Canadians in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This is a response to the deteriorating security situation at the airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and the lack of access for Canadian citizens to leave the country.
Transcript
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Haiti is known for its beautiful culture and its welcoming people.
00:00:04.180
Canada shares deep connections with the people of Haiti,
00:00:07.100
and many Haitians have chosen to build their lives in Canada.
00:00:11.140
There are neighbours, our friends, our brothers and our sisters.
00:00:15.900
We know that the Haitian people have been facing multidimensional crisis,
00:00:21.740
a security crisis, a humanitarian crisis, and a political crisis.
00:00:30.180
Women and children are scared of getting out of their homes.
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leaving no way to leave Port-au-Prince without putting families in danger.
00:00:42.720
As a government, our number one priority is always the safety of Canadians at home and abroad.
00:00:48.760
For nearly two years, we have advised Canadians not to travel to Haiti
00:00:55.280
At the same time, we know that the security situation has deteriorated in recent weeks,
00:01:01.620
and those who wish to leave are unable to do so
00:01:04.660
because of the security situation at the airport in Port-au-Prince.
00:01:08.900
This is why today, we are launching an assisted departure
00:01:15.760
We have also deployed diplomats and consular agents across the region
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We will be facilitating the travel of the most vulnerable Canadians in Haiti to the Dominican Republic.
00:01:28.360
At present, the Dominican Republic has strict eligibility requirements for all those entering the country.
00:01:36.360
Only Canadian citizens who have a valid Canadian passport will be eligible for this assisted departure.
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The same requirements apply to our allies and our partners, including the U.S.
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This is why we are working for other Canadians and family members, as well as permanent residents and their family members,
00:01:55.700
to be able to have access to other types of assisted departure options.
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Canada has a policy of not separating families.
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And since Canadians are in particularly vulnerable situations right now,
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we have made the decision to begin the operation now with these parameters in mind.
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With the passport requirement of the Dominican Republic in mind,
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Global Affairs Canada has reached out to Canadians who have inquired about departure options
00:02:31.800
This list is currently less than 100 people, with less than 30 Canadians interested in leaving immediately.
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We are prioritizing the most vulnerable Canadians, for example, those who have a medical condition or those who have children.
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Eighteen of those individuals are left today and will continue throughout the week.
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I would also like to take the opportunity to speak to those who might be watching in Haiti and Canadians who have loved ones in Haiti.
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Please register with Global Affairs Canada and let us know if you need assistance in departing the country.
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The information to do so can be found on my social media or on the Global Affairs Canada website.
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