What to do amid Protests & Violence
The recent violence and unrest in Mexico, Peru, and Brazil has been a major cause for concern, with Global Affairs Canada issuing multiple travel advisories.
It’s an important reminder that if you are planning to travel abroad, there are steps you should take ahead of time to be properly informed, so that you can make decisions to protect your personal safety.
First, go to travel dot g-c dot c-a to see if there are travel advisories issued for the country, region, or destination you’re planning to visit.
You’ll want to do this at least twice: during your planning stages, and once again in the days leading up to your trip.
Research visa requirements, local laws and customs, as well as what medical care is available at your destination.
Look at travel insurance options, so you don’t lose out in the event your trip is delayed, disrupted or cancelled in the midst of a conflict or emergency, or if you get sick or injured.
If you are travelling with one or more kids under 18, ensure you have a consent letter for each minor. A consent letter demonstrates that children who are travelling alone, with only one parent or guardian, friends, relatives or a group - like a school band or sports team - have permission to travel abroad from every parent or guardian who is not accompanying them on the trip.
Scan all your important travel documents and save them somewhere on your phone. I like to also email them to myself, and ensure they are saved on cloud-based storage, as a back-up. Leave a couple of photocopies behind at home, just in case you need to call upon family and friends to help you.
Once you know where you’ll be staying, scout out the closest Canadian consulate or embassy. If serious issues arise while you’re abroad, consular services can help with a range of problems.
Whether dealing with a lost passport, an arrest or detention, an assault, illness, missing person, death or a large-scale emergency, there are phone numbers and a monitored email account that you can contact 24 hours a day.
Make sure you bookmark the emergency assistance page. There you’ll find the contact information using multiple different platforms including telephone, SMS and WhatsApp. There is also service for people with hearing loss.
And save this address with your travel documents: sos@international.gc.ca - so you can reach out via email if necessary.
Finally, when you’re ready to travel, register yourself as a Canadian abroad. Whether you’re travelling for leisure or business or even moving to another country, by registering with the program the Canadian government can reach you in the event of an emergency abroad or a personal emergency at home.
You can also receive important information before and during civil unrest or a natural disaster. You can register online. Your personal information stays confidential – and you can register a group of up to 10 travellers at once.
