In a late-day update on 13 October 2026 (14:30 ET), Global Affairs Canada strengthened its Sudan advisory, maintaining the ‘Avoid All Travel’ level but adding a stark recommendation that Canadians already in the country should depart immediately using the limited commercial options that remain. The wording change follows renewed fighting in Khartoum and Port Sudan, where clashes between rival military factions have encroached on areas previously considered safe transit corridors. Several regional airlines have begun curtailing service, and Port Sudan’s seaport—used in earlier evacuation operations—has reported sporadic closures. Employers with maritime, logistics or NGO personnel in Sudan should verify exit strategies that do not rely solely on the capital’s international airport, which has closed without notice multiple times over the past month. Insurance underwriters may now classify Sudan as ‘war risk,’ affecting kidnap-and-ransom and medical-evacuation policies. For immigration practitioners, the development could spur new temporary-resident-permit or humanitarian applications by Sudanese nationals already in Canada whose status is expiring. IRCC has not yet announced special measures, but precedent suggests Ottawa could re-issue open work permits or extend restoration deadlines, mirroring earlier Afghanistan and Ukraine responses. Corporate security teams are urged to maintain communication redundancies, including satellite phones, and to conduct daily check-ins with any staff who remain on the ground as the conflict intensifies.
