You may not know that the Government of Canada has a Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service. They also have a TRAVEL SMART app where you can list your planned travel dates and destinations. In addition the app provides other helpful travel information. Many other countries probably have something similar.
I know lots of people have the attitude that “Big Brother” doesn’t need to know everything about us. Well now-a-days, many other apps track your whereabouts and your government or others know what country you are in. So make it easy for them to contact you if they need too, especially in the case of an emergency situation.
I’ve registered previous trips and I have received advisory and warning messages about certain areas or events to avoid and where to use caution. Nothing in the past was of major concern because it was not happening near me. Even on my latest trip to South America I received the occasional message but it was never anything too alarming.
However, I really began to appreciate the importance of this registration program when COVID-19 began affecting the world. Fortunately I left Peru towards the end of February prior to the Coronavirus pandemic and the closing of borders around the world.
A couple of weeks after my return home, on or before March 16, I started receiving government emails advising me about COVID-19. Since Peru was my last known destination, maybe they took precautionary measures incase I was still there. Almost daily I began receiving Travel and Health advisory emails.
At first the emails stated that I should consider returning to Canada and how to monitor my health and protect myself from Coronavirus. Then I was advised about the Peruvian Government state of national emergency and what that meant.
Shortly there after the emails stated that discussions were underway with airline carriers to facilitate the return of Canadian travellers. By the 19th I was asked to complete a form if it was my intention to return. On the 21st I received a reassuring email that preparation was underway for flights and that they understood Canadians were located in different locations across Peru.
By March 23, the email stated that the first flight out on March 24 was full but there were flights scheduled for the 26th and 27th and seats were being booked for those.
What I learned from all this:
- I think our Canadian Government and it’s Embassy in Peru worked diligently to communicate with and assist Canadians stranded in Peru. I know there have been Government arranged flights from other countries as well. What a massive operation to organize when a catastrophic event occurs worldwide.
- Secondly, registering your travels when you go abroad will ensure that you receive valuable information if events occur that may affect your travel route or ability to return home.
For now, stay home and stay safe.
Canadians can find information about registering future travel, at www.travel.gc.ca
