Should taxpayers pay for dual citizens’ return to Canada?

Re First plane to arrive carrying Canadians, Feb. 7

It is disheartening to read so many negative comments in delays in evacuating Canadians trapped in Wuhan by the coronavirus epidemic. First, unlike some countries, Canada has no consulate services in Wuhan.

This fact should have been well- known to those Canadians who regularly visit or even reside in Wuhan temporarily. Everything had to go through Beijing and Chinese officials were in charge. Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne deserves credit for his patience and perseverance in finally securing China’s co-operation, despite these difficulties.

Although the recent tragic incident in Iran is not comparable, one similarity between that and the Wuhan situation is Canada had no diplomatic relations with Iran, causing similar road-blocks and delays in investigating and also repatriating the remains of Canadian citizens. In each case, the situation was complicated further by the fact that not all of those affected were travelling with Canadian passports. They were either permanent residents or held dual citizenship with their birth countries.

All this raises a troubling question. If dual citizens or permanent residents choose to travel to their birth countries, particularly when relations between Canada and the birth country are strained, should they automatically expect help from Canada when troubles arise? Canadians are compassionate on the whole, as was demonstrated by the out-pouring of national grief over the Iran disaster. But the Wuhan case is somewhat different. The evacuation, followed by the 14-day quarantine at Trenton, comes at a substantial cost. It sets a precedent that could become the norm. Should the cost be on the taxpayer’s dime?

Nini Pal, Ottawa