Canada launches program to help Canadians flee Haiti

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada is launching an assisted departure operation to help vulnerable Canadians get out of Haiti.

Joly said Monday that Canada will transport eligible Canadians from Haiti to the neighbouring Dominican Republic, where they can catch flights home.

Only citizens with valid Canadian passports are eligible; Joly said the government is exploring other options for permanent residents and their families.

The most vulnerable Canadians, such as people with medical conditions or children, will be prioritized, she said.

Roughly 3,000 Canadians are registered in Haiti, according to Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

The government department said on March 23 it had responded to 245 inquiries since violence erupted earlier this month among rival gangs, closing the international airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and leaving foreigners stranded amid a wave of kidnappings, robberies and violent crime.