Anand says government pursuing options for Canadians to exit Middle East war zone

By Canadian Press on March 4, 2026.

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says more than 2,000 Canadians have asked the government for help to get out of the Middle East, and the government is pursuing multiple options to help them.

Anand is holding a late-day news conference in Ottawa to update the situation since U.S. attacks on Iran sparked an escalating conflict across the region.

There are more than 100,000 Canadians and permanent residents in more than a dozen nations registered to receive information from the federal government.

She says more than 2,000 people have requested help to leave, and more than half of them are in the United Arab Emirates.

Anand says the options available depend on whether local airspace is open, and there are potential land transfer options in some countries without open airports including Qatar.

She says she has directed her officials to enter into contracts for charter flights from the UAE but it will be some time before those can become available.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2026.

The Canadian Press

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