Ottawa launches program to help some Canadians flee Haiti

The federal government is trying to help vulnerable Canadians get out of Haiti. As a government, our number one priority is always the safety of Canadians at home and abroad. We will be fascinating the travel of the most vulnerable Canadians in Haiti to the Dominican Republic. Once in the Dominican Republic, those Canadians will have to find their own flights back to Canada, Jolie said. Only people with Canadian passports are eligible to get into the Dominican Republic, but the government is exploring options for other Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their families to go to other countries. Andre Francois Giroux is Canada’s ambassador to Haiti and he joins me now. Ambassador, welcome back to the show. Thank you. This was this process was supposed to start today with 18 Canadians getting out with the first effort. But I understand there have been some complications. What can you tell us about what’s happened today? Well, we, we were all ready to go. And unfortunately the weather on the Dominican side, the air, the helicopters coming from the Dominican Republic was not very good, heavy rain and wind. So as a result, we, we decided to postpone the operation for for the safety of everybody. OK. So there’s a lot of moving parts in an operation like this, right? Whether it being one of them, you had to get the helicopters from the Dr. into Haiti. And then there’s the security challenges of people in Haiti in Port-au-Prince. If we’ve talked about in the past of getting to the rallying point, the muster point to get on the helicopters, how many people are you hoping are going to be able to do this and and what kind of risks do they have to overcome here? Well, we have more than 3000 Canadians registered in AT, but the demand for assisted departures been fairly low. And then the reason why we’re doing this now is because we we recognize that the airport’s been closed for three weeks now. There’s no commercial, there’s basically no options to leave and and and we don’t have visibility on when the airport is going to be operational again. So. So we’re taking these measures to assist Canadians who want to leave. All of our plans are designed with the safety of Canadians at heart. So meeting points, departure points, time of of gathering and so on and so forth is all done to facilitate movement within the city when when we we figure that it’s the safest. Ultimately, every Canadian who embark on this journey is responsible for its own safety and should definitely put its safety 1st and not get on the road if if the condition it’s in their specific neighborhood is not appropriate. So I just want to walk through the numbers if we can, Ambassador, because it shifts for a bunch of reasons. So there’s 3000 Canadians who have registered with Global Affairs Canada. My understanding is about 300 have said they want assistance leaving Haiti. About 100 meet the criteria to get to the Dominican Republic, You know, qualifying up for the vulnerability status and having the Canadian passport, which is a requirement of the Dominican Republic. But only about 30 right now meet those criteria and were able to go as quickly as it was made available to them. Am I understanding that correctly in terms of where the math is? Yes. I think what you have to keep in mind is that 300 have inquired about the possibility and then when we follow up with them and then explain the conditions and the way it is done, then the numbers sort of gets reduced. The one constraint that we have, and that’s due to the requirement by the Dominican Republic, is that we can only move Canadians with valid Canadian passports. So unfortunately, a permanent resident or members of the family that do not have Canadian citizenship cannot take advantage of this assisted departure at this time. OK, so that’s the challenge because without a functioning airport helicopter is really the only way to sort of get in and out and get people out of there because other countries would require a plane. So. So what efforts can you take? Is Canada prepared to take for people who may not have the passport but want to get out of there but can’t because of what’s happening at the airport? What can you do? So we’re we’re working this is a challenge that all of our allies are facing as well. So we’re working very closely with our close allies to to look at options and and develop plans accordingly. But for the time being we don’t have those options firm for now. So even with a small number that you’ve talked about who who you can try to use this helicopter service to to get to the Dominican Republic, I wonder if you can break down the challenges they would face just moving through Port-au-Prince to get to the departure point given the security situation. I I know we heard from the minister today, I think you repeated it, that Canada can’t provide any kind of security for them because of the situation and the resources that are available in the country. What how serious is the risk for them to get to these departure points? Like what what what would be the security challenges you think they’re going to have to face to get there. Well there’s not one reality of living in in Paul Pais but but I would say day in day out people are walking on the streets are driving on the streets. It’s it’s really knowing your neighborhood and and when it’s appropriate for you to to be out on the streets. So we, as I said, our plans are designed to to identify meeting points that are in fairly safe neighborhoods and then we scheduled them around what we consider the safest time to to move around the city. So I wouldn’t want you to leave you with the impression that every movement at every moment of the day is is is very dangerous. It’s always a matter of of of your environment and and knowing your neighborhood. So again Canadians who have been sheltering in place who who have been here for for a long period of time and would know when it is appropriate for them and it if it means coming a little earlier we’re we’re willing to welcome them for example at the meeting points if it’s easier for them to to travel 2 hours before the actual meeting time. We have made accommodations so that we’re we’re ready to welcome them at the time that is appropriate for them. Right. And I certainly wasn’t trying to imply you all movements at all times are dangerous. I just tried to it’s it’s difficult journalists can’t get in there to just get some clarity on it but you you have to try to help facilitate this and and I think you know maybe the last time we spoke or shortly after that there was the announcement that non essential staff from from the embassy there were relocating to the Dominican Republic. They would keep working but obviously they’re not in Haiti itself. So you’re down to a very reduced staff. I mean what kind of challenges are you and the people still there facing in trying to make all of this happen? Well when we relocated our non essential staff we made it with open eyes and then with the very purpose of being better tools to assist Canadians that are still in in, in AT. So we have the resources we need to to do this operation and by having a reduced footprint we can concentrate and focus those those limited resources where it really matters. So. So the whole idea was very much to maintain the operation of the embassy and continue serving Canadians and and implementing our various programs with our key here, assistance to the national police, please, development assistance, humanitarian assistance. So I wonder if, Ambassador, if we can end it where we began this, the the 18 Canadians who were hoping to get out today, but it had to be canceled because of the weather situation in the Dominican Republic. When do you hope see a window to redo that? Again, I know you’re not going to give me precise times and stuff for operational security reasons, but is this something that can happen relatively quickly if the weather gets better? Yes. I’m told the the forecast for tomorrow is is very good. So I think you can induce from this what is required. But the the idea obviously is, is to carry on with the operation and and and assist all of those who want to take advantage of this assisted departure option. Andre Francois Giroud, Canada’s ambassador to Haiti. Thanks for it again for your time today, Sir. Thank you.