Evacuations start for Canadians caught in Egypt chaos
Posted Jan 31, 2011 8:20 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Rescue flights have been dispatched, as the government tries to evacuate citizens caught in midst of the Egyptian chaos.
With 6,500 Canadians either said to be living in or visiting the country, charter flights have been arranged to ferry passengers to safety in Paris, Frankfurt or London.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon says Ottawa wants to make sure Canadians are taken care of.
“The situation is deteriorating and is not under control,” he says. “Therefore it is incumbent upon this government to be able to protect Canadians and make sure they are safe.”
He’s asking anyone in the beleaguered state to contact the consulate to arrange transportation out.
Anyone wishing to take advantage of the charter flights will then be asked to sign a contract, saying they will repay the government in full for their portion of the costs.
“This is an internal matter, that of course is incumbent upon the Egyptians themselves to make these decisions, much in the same way we wouldn’t accept or tolerate a foreign government telling us how to run our sovereign affairs in Canada,” says Cannon
