In a dawn communiqué from Mumbai issued at 07:31 ET on 28 February 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand condemned the escalation of hostilities across the Middle East and “called on all Canadians in the region to exercise extreme caution.” The statement, released via Canada NewsWire, noted that the Incident Response Group had met overnight and that Global Affairs Canada had surged additional consular officers to Ankara and Doha to assist with potential evacuations. The Prime Minister urged Canadians to register on the Registration of Canadians Abroad platform and to consult the latest Travel Advisories, pointing specifically to the newly elevated warnings for Iran and Iraq. He also confirmed that Ottawa is working with commercial airlines and “like-minded partners” to secure contingency charter flights should regional hubs such as Dubai or Doha face prolonged disruption. For global-mobility teams, the message clarifies that while Canada does not currently plan a government-led evacuation, companies should be prepared to execute their own duty-of-care plans, including chartering seats on short notice and ensuring employees have exit visas where required. The statement also hints that additional sanctions on Iranian aviation entities are under consideration, a move that could further restrict payment channels and logistics for Canadian firms operating in or near Iran. Immigration lawyers add that temporary residents from the affected region who are already in Canada may see accelerated processing for status extensions, mirroring measures introduced after earlier crises in Ukraine and Sudan. Employers should flag such cases promptly to avoid inadvertent lapses in work authorization.
Source: Canada NewsWire
