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Amid Ukraine refugee crisis, a Canada move that could help
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that the program will eliminate several usual visa requirements and it will be "the fastest and safest way to come to Canada".
Amid escalating refugee crisis in Ukraine, Canada is working on a new program for Ukrainians who may want to stay in the country temporarily. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that the program will eliminate several usual visa requirements and it will be "the fastest and safest way to come to Canada". “And for Ukrainians with family members who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, we’ll implement a special family reunification sponsorship pathway towards permanent residence,” Trudeau said in a tweet.
An official statement on Thursday read, “As part of the Government of Canada’s response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is introducing new immigration streams for Ukrainians who want to come to Canada temporarily or permanently.” It said that a Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel will be made available for people fleeing Ukraine. There will be no limits to the number of Ukrainians who can apply.
“All Ukrainian nationals will be able to apply through this new path, and, pending background check and security screening, their stay in Canada could be extended by at least 2 years,” the official statement added. Canada is considered one of the most immigrant-friendly nations in the world.
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The Ukrainians will also be eligible to apply for work permits. “As previously announced, IRCC will issue open work permits to Ukrainian visitors, workers and students who are currently in Canada and cannot safely go home,” it underlined.
Earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky where he reiterated Canada's support for the war-ravaged country against Russia's attack. According to a statement, Trudeau affirmed “his commitment to continue supporting the Ukrainian people and working alongside allies and international partners to hold Russia accountable for its unjustifiable and illegal invasion of Ukraine’s sovereign territory."
The United States has also put the deportation of Ukrainians on hold - a move that is likely to help nearly 30,000 people.
Ukraine has seen over a million people fleeing the country in a week since the war began, the United Nations on Thursday said. The number is likely to rise to 4 million, it has warned.
Canada is among the countries, apart from the United States and the United Kingdom, that has imposed sanctions on Russia. On Wednesday, the Trudeau government announced new sanctions that targeted Russia's energy sector, targeting ten key individuals from two important companies, Rosneft and Gazprom.
