Ontario couple stuck in Qatar feel 'left behind' and say Ottawa's given them little help

A Guelph, Ont., couple up stuck in state of katar since the terminate of feb say they sense "disappointed" and "left behind" after receiving little help from the Canadian government in their efforts to leave the country safely.

Vahid Afrakhteh and Jessica Westlake were on their way to Thailand for a vacation and had a stopover in Doha for one night as part of travel plans with Qatar Airways. They were supposed to take a March 1 flight, but Qatari airspace was shutdown the end of last month when the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime began.

"[The government] said airspace is closed from now on and every day, we're like, 'When is it going to open? Is it going to be tomorrow?'"

The United States and Israel launched joint airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, with several explosions in central Tehran and across the country. That weekend, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on Israeli and U.S. Bases and other facilities across the Middle East, including Qatar.

Westlake said they heard loud noises, which sounded like bombs, and vibrations last weekend.

"It was this surreal moment because you're in this stunning place, Qatar is beautiful and very manicured and you're not fully putting these two things together ... It didn't feel real."

The two said they didn't hear or receive any information from the Canadian government until March 4, after they reached out to Global Affairs Canada, even though they'd registered with Ottawa's Registration of Canadians Abroad.

The service notifies travellers of emergencies at their destination and provides important information to travellers before or during a natural disaster or civil unrest, according to the government's website.

"Before we left, we did all the things you're supposed to do: Register with your embassy, get your insurance, check the advisories, which was at that time yellow," Westlake said.

The couple received an email from Global Affairs Canada on March 4 that said there were no Canadian government-assisted departures or evacuations planned at that time, and they "should not rely on the government of Canada for assisted departure or evacuation."

The email added the severity of the situation in the Middle East limits their ability to help.

"There are planned road movements from Bahrain and flights from Beirut in the coming days," the agency said Tuesday. "These details have been communicated to Canadians registered with us."

On March 7, the couple received an email informing them of a bus charter route leaving Doha to Riyadh on March 8.

Westlake and Afrakhteh said they didn't take the bus because they were worried the situation could escalate in the hours it would take to get to Saudi Arabia.

"They told us on the phone they were taking their time because we want to offer you a comprehensive package, for our safety. However, when the plan came out, it wasn't comprehensive. It was just a bus," Afrakhteh said.

Anand lays out plan to evacuate Canadians from Middle East

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand explained on March 4 the government's plan to get Canadians out of the Middle East and said three key options were being offered, depending on the region. They include chartered flights, blocked bookings and land transportation.

Vincent Correia, who teaches aviation law at McGill University in Montreal, said the Canadian and other governments have been struggling to find options to evacuate citizens.

"Once the airspace is closed, no flights can take place, and there's also the question of aircraft availability and finding pilots willing to enter a conflict zone. It's not that easy."

Correia added the government has an obligation to provide diplomatic and general protection to its citizens, and to ensure their safety.

That means "to evacuate them when possible, but in other cases, it's to make sure there are no casualties that can be attributed to actions being taken by the government."

After 11 days and hours of phone calls with Global Affairs Canada and Qatar Airways, Afrakhteh and Westlake say they feel like they have been left to come up with their own evacuation plan.

"It's been a disappointing experience," Westlake said.

The two hope to take a plane out when possible now that airspace in Qatar is gradually reopening, with limited flights entering and leaving the country. They had a flight booked to London, England, for this Thursday, but it's since been cancelled.

They were hoping to get a March 11 direct flight to Toronto, but said Qatar Airways told them the passenger list is determined by "the government and the respective embassies."

In an email response to the couple, the Canadian Embassy said, "We have no control over who is put on flights (we did not receive such communication from Qatar Airways)."

Afrakhteh and Westlake said they are exhausted and eager to go home.

"We are not trying to get ahead of anyone who has higher priority than us, but we do want to be reassured that we are on a list and being considered as a stranded passenger who need to be booked on a flight out as soon as it is available," Afrakhteh said.

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