Update on the situation in the Middle East – March 12, 2026

From: Global Affairs Canada

Statement

The Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East. 

Canadians abroad in need of emergency consular assistance can contact Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre by: 

  • Telephone: +1 613 996 8885 (collect calls accepted where available)
  • Email: me‑mo.sos@international.gc.ca
  • SMS: +1 613 686 3658
  • WhatsApp: +1 613 909 8881
  • Signal: +1-613-909-8087

Registration of Canadians Abroad and Consular Assistance

As of March 11, more than 110,600 Canadians are registered in our voluntary Registration of Canadians Abroad system. We continue to see a decline in total number of registrants across the region, as Canadians depart and deregister from the system. Registration numbers do not accurately represent the actual number of Canadians in a country or their desire to leave, as it includes only those who opt to register and may include individuals who have already departed without updating their profiles.

Since February 28, nearly 8,000 Canadians, permanent residents and family members have returned to Canada through direct and indirect routes from the Middle East.

The Government of Canada has facilitated the departure of nearly 1,000 Canadians and Permanent Residents from the region to a safe third country.

Global Affairs Canada’s direct assistance to Canadians, permanent residents, and family members includes: 

  • visa facilitation for border crossings; 
  • support in obtaining travel documents and passports; 
  • reception at border crossings, including help securing accommodations and onward travel; 
  • assisted departures in multiple countries, including buses to safe third countries or to locations where commercial flights are available; 
  • block booking seats on commercial flights when airspace allowed; and 
  • chartering an aircraft from the UAE to Istanbul.

During international emergencies, Canada works closely with partner countries to expedite the safe departure of citizens from the region and increase opportunities for them to leave.  We have provided seats to citizens of Jordan, Kuwait, Australia, Ireland, Egypt, Denmark, and New Zealand to safely leave the region. We also supported efforts by the EU, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan at key border crossings with Iran.

Global Affairs Canada continues to provide departure opportunities based on demand and where commercial flight options remain limited or unavailable. Due to the gradual resumption of commercial flights in certain parts of the region, uptake by Canadians and permanent residents continues to decline for seats on flights and ground transportation coordinated by the Government of Canada.

On March 11, the 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre received just over 400 calls, the lowest number of calls since the onset of this crisis. At the height of activity last week, we received nearly 1,400 calls per day. We are now seeing enquiries shift from requests for assisted departures to questions related to on travel documents, travel advice and updates for Canadians registered abroad. Most enquiries in the past day have come from individuals in United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where commercial flights have now resumed.

At this time, we are not aware of any Canadians who have been injured or killed because of the hostilities.      

Travel advice to Canadians

Canadians in the Middle East should:    

To get up to date information on the latest advice, Canadians can also follow Global Affairs Canada on X (formerly Twitter) @TravelGoC and @CanadaFP or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/travelGoC or subscribe to the daily travel updates email.

Our advice includes information about safety and security conditions abroad to enable travelers to make their own informed decisions regarding destinations. The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the individual.

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2026-03-12