The Canadian government has laid out its plans to get its citizens out of troubled Syria.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird encouraged Canadians still in Syria to get out while commercial means are still available.
Baird told CTV's Power Plan Thursday afternoon that Canadians in Syria should leave while they still can.
"The risks to our embassy folks are obvious," Baird said. "With respect to the Canadians that are there we might not be able to get them out. The airport is closed, Damascus is not on a port, so that obviously makes the means of getting them out tougher."
Baird and Minister of State Diane Ablonczy detailed the voluntary evacuation plan in a news conference on Thursday morning, following an escalation of violence in that country as its government tries to quell an ongoing uprising.
"We find it increasingly difficult to make air travel arrangements as the security situation continues to deteriorate," Baird said. He explained that the Canadian embassy in Damascus would "open an express lane" between now and Jan. 14 to help Canadians, their spouses and their children obtain the necessary documents in order to leave.
"If Canadians stay in Syria we cannot guarantee services at our embassy… will remain available," he said. "We strongly encourage Canadians in Syria to apply for travel documents... The time to leave Syria is now."
All normal Canadian visa requirements, including admissibility rules and fees, remain in place, said a release from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has cracked down harshly on pro-democratic protesters, with 25 people killed in gun battles between soldiers and rebels on Wednesday alone.
Demonstrations that began in January have escalated throughout the year, leaving thousands of Syrians dead. Wednesday's clashes signal a shift in the demonstrators' tactics, as the formerly peaceful opposition appears to now be taking up arms.
The international community has long condemned the Syrian government's behaviour, with Canada first imposing sanctions on that country in May. Those restrictions were further tightened in October.
"These sanctions, in concert with those of our international partners, have isolated this regime," Baird said Thursday. "Their actions are completely and totally unacceptable.
"The writing on the wall could not be more clear. The Assad regime has lost all legitimacy."
Baird said that Canada would like to see the UN take tougher diplomatic measures in Syria.
"We'd like the Security Council to condemn the brutal death of 5,000 people at the Assad regime's hand and we'd like strong United Nations sanctions against this regime," he said.
Meanwhile, officials in Washington predict that the Assad regime's fall is not far off.
"Our view is that this regime is the equivalent of dead man walking," said the U.S. State Department's Frederic Hof.
With files from the Associated Press
