Passport Canada is facing scrutiny after it made a post on social media encouraging Canadians to apply for their Passports, in anticipation for “winter vacation.” The post was first made on Friday and has since received over 600 retweets.
“Are you planning a winter vacation but don’t have a valid passport? Don’t wait, apply now!” The tweet from Passport Canada reads.
This message is in stark contrast to its official guidance which advises all Canadians to “avoid non-essential travel” outside of Canada and to avoid all cruise outside Canada until further notice.
“Many countries continue to have strict travel restrictions in place, and the availability of options for international transportation remain limited. As a result you may have difficulty returning to Canada. While some countries are partially opening their borders, we continue to advise against non-essential travel outside of Canada. We also continue to advise that you avoid all cruise ship travel outside of Canada until further notice,” the statement on Global Affairs Canada said.
Users commented that the tweet was “tone deaf” and that it sent mixed messaging to Canadians. “I don’t know if anyone has told you yet or not, but there’s something called “COVID”that’s been going around….and um…ugh. Nevermind,” One user said.
Since the post was made on Friday, hundreds requested that the post be taken down but to no avail.
Many Canadians are blaming the mixed messages on the social media manager “hootsuite,” which is where the tweet originated from at 2pm.
“Good reminder for social media teams to be careful when scheduling tweets more than a year out,” a user said.
While the post was made on Friday, hundreds requested that the post be taken down but to no avail. On Sunday, the agency became aware of the situation and removed the tweet.
YGK News sought out comment from Refugee and Citizenship Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada but was not immediately available for comment.
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