Evacuees allowed entry despite COVID-19

Summary#

This is the Order Amending the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada from any Country Other than the United States). It lets certain foreign nationals and their crew arrive on Government of Canada–organized evacuation flights even if they might have COVID-19. The change was made under the Quarantine Act and came into force on September 1, 2021.

What it does#

• Removes the blanket ban on entry for a specific group of foreign nationals who are being evacuated to Canada on a Government of Canada–arranged flight.
• Applies only to evacuees who are authorized by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Minister of Health, and who are found to be in “exigent circumstances and suffering hardship.”
• Allows crew members on those evacuation flights to enter Canada with the evacuees.
• Lets the Minister of Health impose conditions (for example, tests, isolation or other requirements) that evacuees must follow to reduce the risk of introducing COVID-19.
• Keeps general quarantine, testing, masking, and isolation powers in place; symptomatic evacuees must isolate on arrival and must wear masks while in transit.

Who's affected#

• Foreign nationals who are being evacuated to Canada on Government-arranged flights and who are authorized by the named ministers.
• Crew members on those evacuation flights.
• The change was introduced to help people evacuated from Afghanistan, but the wording allows the government to use the same approach in future international crises.
• Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered as Indians under the Indian Act are unaffected in the sense that they already have the right to enter Canada even if ill.

Why it matters#

• It balances humanitarian needs against public‑health risk: Canada can bring in vulnerable people in crisis situations even if they may be infected.
• Public-health controls can still be attached, but the exact measures are set by the Minister of Health and are not fully spelled out in the notice. That means local health authorities and quarantine facilities will be involved in managing arrivals.
• Communities receiving evacuees may see new arrivals who require health screening, testing, or isolation.