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Consular Activity in 2008 - Incident Report for Canadians Abroad

Also available in PDF version

• Introduction
• What Do We Do?
• Consular Statistics in 2008

Introduction

2008 Highlights

Canadians made more than 53 million visits outside the country, a 47% increase since 2003. DFAIT opened over 260,000 consular services cases. Over 6,000 cases were related to distress situations. More than 60,000 Canadians used the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service. DFAIT’s 24/7 Operations Centre handled more than 185,000 calls. The consular website (www.travel.gc.ca) received more than 4.5 million visits. More than 4 million safe-travel publications were distributed. Over 150,000 passports were issued outside Canada. Crisis situations and events affecting Canadian travellers resulted in approximately 2,325 updates of various Travel Reports, including the issuance of over 40 new official travel warnings advising against travel to specific countries or regions. Some 1,600 Canadians received assistance in more than 26 separate crisis or emergency situations, including the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the airport closures in Bangkok, and the evacuation of close to 80 Canadians from Gaza. Over 2,000 arrest and detention cases were opened. Over one third of Canadians arrested abroad were charged with drug-related offences. Consular officers opened a total of 245 consular cases related to children, including 51 child abduction cases and 98 child custody cases.

The word "consular" is used to describe the services that a country provides for its citizens abroad. These services are clearly established in international law and, more specifically, under the terms of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to which Canada and many other nations are signatories.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) provides information and assistance to Canadians travelling, working, studying or living abroad.

Canadians abroad can obtain assistance at more than 260 offices in over 150 countries around the world. Consular services operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Close to 500 professionally trained and dedicated employees overseas and at headquarters in Ottawa are available to help Canadians prepare for international travel before they leave and to provide assistance when they are abroad. Consular staff are committed to providing all Canadians, throughout the world, with effective and efficient service characterized by sensitivity, empathy, courtesy, speed, accuracy and fairness.

In providing consular services, DFAIT is also supported by other departments and agencies, including Passport Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Department of National Defence and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

What Do We Do?

Canadians are travelling more and more.

In 2008, Canadians made more than 53 million visits outside the country, a 47% increase since 2003.

In addition, an estimated 2.5 million Canadians live abroad. Whether travelling, working, studying or spending retirement abroad, every globe-trotting Canadian is a potential consular client.

While consular services can take many forms, they primarily fall into two main categories: prevention and education, and assistance.

Prevention and Education: Preparing Canadians for Travel

Crisis situations and events affecting Canadian travellers resulted in approximately 2,325 updates of various Travel Reports in 2008, including the issuance of over 40 new official travel warnings advising against travel to specific countries or regions.

Consular services are available to Canadians before they leave the country. Ensuring that travellers have all the information they need to make informed and responsible decisions before they leave Canada, as well as when they are abroad, is one of the cornerstones of DFAIT’s consular services program.

DFAIT’s Consular Services website, which logged more than 4.5 million visits in 2008, is the first step in helping Canadians plan their trip overseas. This site provides information about foreign destinations, how to prepare for international travel, the types of consular services that can and cannot be provided to Canadians abroad, and global issues that may affect Canadians, such as the threat of terrorism or potential pandemics, as well as a host of other vital safe-travel information.

The consular website’s Travel Reports, available for over 200 countries, provide an overview of a country’s safety and security conditions, including official travel warnings, information on health-related issues, and contact information for the nearest Canadian mission.

DFAIT also distributes a wide variety of publications free of charge. Titles include Bon Voyage, But…, a primer on safe international travel, and many other useful publications on topics ranging from adventure travel, to dual citizenship, to travelling with children. These titles can be downloaded from the consular website or ordered free of charge.

In 2008, over 4 million consular publications were distributed.

DFAIT’s consular Outreach Program works with the travel industry and travel industry educators to ensure they have the necessary tools to prepare Canadians as they make their travel plans. A new training session, called the Safe Travel Planner for Travel Counsellors, was launched online in March 2009.

Canadians are encouraged to inform DFAIT of their travel plans by registering online with the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service or by contacting a Canadian government office abroad. Registering allows DFAIT to contact and assist them in an emergency or inform them of a family emergency in Canada.

In 2008, more than 60,000 Canadians used the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service.

Consular Assistance and Information: Helping Canadians Abroad

Most trips go off without a hitch; but even with the best preparation, unforeseen events can occur. Consular information or assistance is only a phone call away. Canadians outside Canada can contact the nearest Canadian government office abroad or call DFAIT’s Operations Centre, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by trained, knowledgeable and resourceful officers. This is a key link back to Canada for Canadians travelling and living abroad. In 2008, the Operations Centre handled more than 185,000 calls.

In 2008, consular staff abroad and at headquarters managed over 260,000 cases.

The types of consular services provided abroad range from general, routine services, such as issuing a new passport or providing information on travelling to another country, to managing distress situations, such as a medical emergency or an arrest.

 

The large majority of consular cases opened in 2008 were requests for routine services, including passport services and ROCA registrations.

DFAIT also provides emergency assistance whenever and wherever required. Last year, some 1,600 Canadians received assistance in more than 26 separate crisis or emergency situations, including the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the airport closures in Bangkok, and the assisted departure of close to 80 Canadians from Gaza.

Distress cases, while accounting for a smaller percentage of the overall caseload, can become very complex. Every effort is made to resolve specific problems and to provide the required service. However, the ability of consular officials to do this work and their success rate are affected, in many instances, by the laws and regulations of other countries.

Consular Statistics in 2008

Millions and millions of Canadians are travelling outside the country. The following table lists the 10 countries most visited by Canadians in 2008.

Top 10 Countries Most Visited by Canadians in 2008

Country Number of Visits United States 40,885,900 Mexico 1,338,500 United Kingdom 1,074,200 Cuba 931,800 France 910,200 Dominican Republic 779,500 China 477,200 Germany 438,600 Italy 429,800 Netherlands 347,900

Source: Statistic Canada

Consular Cases

The types of consular cases opened can vary from the routine to the distress-related. In 2008, over 6,000 distress-related cases were opened by consular staff worldwide. The most common types of distress cases involved arrests and detentions, deaths abroad, medical emergencies, and locating a family member or friend overseas.

The table below shows the 10 countries where Canadians required the most consular assistance for distress-related situations. Six (*) of the 10 countries were also among the most visited in 2008.

Top 10 Countries for Distress-Related Assistance in 2008

Country Number of Cases United States* 1,509 Mexico* 445 China* 326 Cuba* 212 United Kingdom* 205 Thailand 189 Dominican Republic* 135 India 120 Costa Rica 116 United Arab Emirates 116

Arrest/Detention

In 2008, DFAIT opened over 2,000 arrest and detention cases abroad. Currently, DFAIT is dealing with a number of ongoing cases that involve some 1,850 Canadians in prison. Three quarters of Canadians incarcerated abroad are in the United States, while the remainder are in prisons in almost 100 other countries.

In 2008, over one third of Canadians arrested abroad were charged with drug-related offences. In Mexico, one in four distress cases was an arrest/detention; while in China and the United Kingdom, it was one in three

Guidance for Canadians: Consular officials cannot arrange for a Canadian’s release from prison, post bail or interfere with a foreign judicial system. See our FAQ on Arrest and Detention for further information.

The booklet A Guide for Canadians Imprisoned Abroad provides information to help Canadians imprisoned abroad, and their families, benefit from the assistance offered by the Government of Canada through its consular services. DFAIT’s comprehensive web page on Drugs and Travel provides advice to help travelling Canadians avoid serious problems relating to both illegal and prescription drugs. Publications are free and also available in print form.

Medical Assistance

In 2008, in Mexico and Cuba, one in five distress cases was related to medical assistance; in Italy, it was one in three.

Many Canadians fall ill and require medical assistance while travelling outside Canada. In 2008, over 770 cases involved a Canadian who required medical assistance.

Unexpected situations can arise at any time while travelling abroad; Canadians should plan ahead.

Guidance for Canadians: Canadians who plan to travel outside Canada – even on a day trip to the United States – should buy the best supplemental medical insurance they can afford to cover potentially costly bills for hospital or other medical care. Additional information on medical matters can be found in the publication Well on Your Way: A Canadian’s Guide to Healthy Travel Abroad.

Well-being and Whereabouts

In 2008, consular officials managed over 600 cases involving the well-being and whereabouts of Canadians travelling or living abroad.

Consular officials in Ottawa and abroad can take measures to help locate persons travelling or living overseas and ensure that they are put in touch with their families in Canada. If someone is simply out of touch, the nearest Canadian government office abroad will seek assistance from local officials to locate that person.

Of all well-being and whereabouts cases opened in 2008, over 75% were resolved.

Guidance for Canadians: The Operations Centre of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An experienced officer is always available to respond to emergency calls from anywhere in the world. For more information, please consult DFAIT’s Missing Persons FAQ or call 1-800-267-8376 (in Canada).

Child-Related Cases

Consular officials deal with a variety of child-related cases, including child abduction, custody and welfare cases. Child abduction cases involve Canadian children who have been wrongfully removed from Canada, or who have been prevented from returning home by one of their parents.

In 2008, consular officers opened a total of 245 consular cases related to children, including 51 child abduction cases and 98 child custody cases.

Guidance for Canadians: International parental child abductions and custody cases involving Canadian children in foreign countries are very delicate and complex. The parent left behind must work closely with officials to improve the chances of being reunited with a child. Consult our publication International Child Abductions: A Manual for Parents for further information. Also, please see the Our Missing Children program.

Assault

Assaults can occur anywhere in the world. More than 220 assaults against Canadians occurred in 2008.

The highest number of assaults against Canadians occurred in Mexico (27), followed by China (17) and Cuba (15).

Guidance for Canadians: Canadians assaulted abroad should report the incident to the local authorities as well as to the nearest Canadian government office abroad. Consult the FAQs on Assault. Emergency financial assistance is available to individual Canadians who are the victims of serious violent crimes in a foreign jurisdiction. This emergency financial assistance is available through the Victims Fund, which is administered by the Department of Justice Policy Centre for Victim Issues.

Passport Services

About 6% of all passport services provided abroad were for the replacement of a lost or stolen passport.

Passport issuance is the most common service provided to Canadians abroad. In 2008, consular officials issued over 150,000 passports outside Canada.

Guidance for Canadians: Canadians should have a valid Canadian passport for all trips outside Canada. A passport is the only reliable and universally accepted identification document, and it proves that the holder has a right to return to Canada. Some countries require a passport to be valid for six months beyond the date of entry. Consult the consular web page on Passports for more information.