Consular Affairs has a second in what I hope is a series of dense traveler news releases.
It’s done in a bid to educate Canadian tourists traveling abroad during the high seasons on what exactly consular affairs can do for you, using real life examples of bizzaro requests received by consular officials.
Here’s the latest:
“Canada receives more than 215,000 consular requests a year. However, some Canadians appear to have the mistaken idea that consular officers can act as their personal concierge. That may account for requests that are definitely beyond the range of what is included in consular services. Some real life examples:
- Consular officers cannot provide you with refills for your medication, but they can recommend good local medical services.
- Officers cannot drive you around to find the person who mugged you, but they can help you contact the local police.
- While Canadian officials everywhere love their hockey and maple syrup, they cannot provide a place to watch the playoffs or provide emergency rations of your favourite breakfast condiment.
