QUESTION PERIOD — Global Affairs
Registration of Canadians Abroad
February 25, 2026
Senator Moreau, recent violent events in Mexico’s Jalisco state, the location of Puerto Vallarta, have impacted local residents and thousands of Canadian tourists.
At Monday’s briefing on the situation, parliamentarians were told there had been some glitches but the registration system for Canadians was up and running and timely information was being provided.
One Canadian speaking to CBC said he had been registered for years with Global Affairs in Mexico but did not hear anything. Others said, “The website sucked. It kept crashing and had outdated information.”
Senator Moreau, why did the government not have a reliable system in place to ensure Canadians were able to get the timely information they needed during this dangerous situation?
Global Affairs Canada had emitted a warning message to Canadians who were in this Mexican region following the rise in violence on February 22. Also, Canadian consular services in Mexico received and answered over 2,000 calls from Canadians during these events.
While I cannot comment on specific cases, in rapidly evolving situations, systems can come under pressure. Minister Anand, as you mentioned, is giving her attention to the potential kinks in the communications system.
Those who had difficulty communicating with Global Affairs were later contacted, and we understand that they are doing well.
There was a lot of dissatisfaction. It was a dangerous situation. We must do better.
Senator Moreau, what will the government do to learn from the problems with our response to the situation in Mexico so that Global Affairs will be better prepared to support Canadians abroad when there is another situation with spontaneous civil unrest in the future?
There are many parts to my answer. When an urgent situation like this occurs, where you are answering 2,000 calls in a very short period of time, the systems are sometimes not able to keep up.
This being said, there are many criteria around creating the range of recommendations and warnings from Global Affairs, from normal security precautions to warnings to avoid all travel.
Diplomatic services are on the ground monitoring the situation and keeping the government updated as it evolves.
