Restoring Family Links - Finding separated family members after humanitarian crisis or natural disaster

Family / Parenting and Immigrant and Refugee Services

Provided by Canadian Red Cross

A program helping people in Canada re-establish contact with immediate family members after separation due to armed conflict, natural disaster, migration and other humanitarian crises.
Whether the separation from your loved one happened many decades ago or more recently, the Canadian Red Cross may be able to help. The process involves collecting information via telephone or email about missing persons, persons who have died, and vulnerable persons such as children separated from their families and persons deprived of their freedom.

Search requests are accepted based on:
- the closeness of the relationship
- the reason for the loss of contact
- sufficient information being available to conduct a search
- attempts already made by the inquirer to locate the sought person have been unsuccessful

The Red Cross accepts searches for people within Canada only when:
- It concerns family members separated prior to their arrival in Canada.
- If a person is new to Canada and has lost contact with someone else who they know has also recently arrived in Canada. In this case, a tracing request can be submitted.
- When the separation is due to a current disaster within Canada (this is done through your local Red Cross/Red Crescent Society).

The Red Cross also helps people locate family members overseas. More information on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Tracing Service
When a loved one is missing:
If you are looking for a family member overseas and would like us to help, please contact Redcross:
  • By email: familylinks@redcross.ca
  • Online: Fill out this form
  • By Phone: Please see contact information below for English and French Speakers.

1-866-399-8412 (English speaking) ext. 480-2214

Public email: familylinks@redcross.ca

Website: https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help...

1-800-363-7305 (French speaking) ext. 362-3044

Cost: No cost

Associated Programs/Services

Also offered by Canadian Red Cross:

Just the closest matches listed. Click to see more!
Availability

Service area: Province-wide + show cities

Service area cities: 100 Mile House, Abbotsford, Agassiz, Aldergrove, Alert Bay, Alexis Creek, Anahim Lake, Anmore, Armstrong, Ashcroft, Atlin, Bamfield, Banff, Barriere, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Black Creek, Blue River, Boston Bar, Bowen Island, Brentwood Bay, Burnaby, Burns Lake, Cache Creek, Calgary, Campbell River, Canmore, Castlegar, Cathedral Grove, Cawston, Chase, Chemainus, Chetwynd, Chilliwack, Christina Lake, Clearwater, Clinton, Cobble Hill, Comox, Coombs, Coquitlam, Cortes Island, Courtenay, Cranbrook, Crawford Bay, Creston, Cumberland, Daajing Giids, Dawson Creek, Dease Lake, Deep Bay, Delta, Denman Island, Duncan, Edgewood, Elkford, Enderby, Fanny Bay, Fernie, Fort Langley, Fort Nelson, Fort St. James, Fort St. John, Fraser Lake, Fruitvale, Gabriola Island, Galiano Island, Gibsons, Golden, Gold River, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Hanceville, Hazelton, Hope, Hornby Island, Horne Lake, Houston, Hudson's Hope, Invermere, Kamloops, Kaslo, Kelowna, Keremeos, Kimberley, Kitimat, Kyuquot, Ladner, Ladysmith, Lake Country, Lake Cowichan, Langford, Langley, Lantzville, Lethbridge, Lillooet, Lions Bay, Logan Lake, Long Beach, Lumby, Lytton, Mackenzie, Maple Ridge, Masset, Mayne Island, McBride, Merritt, Merville, Midway, Mill Bay, Mission, Nakusp, Nanaimo, Nanoose Bay, Nelson, New Aiyansh, New Denver, New Westminster, Nitinaht, North Delta, North Saanich, North Vancouver, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos, Oyama, Parksville, Peachland, Pemberton, Pender Harbour, Pender Island, Penelakut Island, Penticton, Pitt Meadows, Port Alberni, Port Alice, Port Coquitlam, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Port Moody, Powell River, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Princeton, Quadra Island, Qualicum Beach, Quathiaski Cove, Quesnel, Revelstoke, Richmond, Riske Creek, Rock Creek, Rossland, Saanich, Saanichton, Salmo, Salmon Arm, Salt Spring Island, Sardis, Saturna Island, Sayward, Scotch Creek, Sechelt, Shawnigan Lake, Sicamous, Sidney, Skidegate, Slocan, Smithers, Sointula, Sooke, Sorrento, South Surrey, Sparwood, Spences Bridge, Squamish, Stewart, Summerland, Sun Peaks, Surrey, Tahsis, Tatla Lake, Telkwa, Terrace, Tofino, Trail, Tsawwassen, Tumbler Ridge, Ucluelet, Valemount, Vancouver, Vanderhoof, Vernon, Victoria, West Kelowna, West Vancouver, Whistler, White Rock, Williams Lake, Winlaw, Witset, and Yale

Ways to Access
  • Provided by phone
  • Provided online: email / video / on-line

The listing of this service in Pathways is not a recommendation or endorsement by Pathways.

Pathways does not provide medical advice. If you have an emergency please call 9-1-1. If you require assistance navigating services please call 8-1-1.

For general inquiries or for assistance, please email us:

community-services@pathwaysbc.ca

If you are requesting clinical access to medical Pathways, please provide the following information via the email above:

  1. First Name
  2. Last Name
  3. Email
  4. In which city/town do you work?
  5. What is your role? E.g. Family Physician, Office Staff, Medical Resident
  6. Employer Name (for office staff)
  7. Office Phone

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