Speaking at a Canadian base in Trenton this morning, Defense Secretary Anita Anand said the mission would help “ensure that Ukrainians leaving the war receive the best possible support.” Anand has authorized up to 150 soldiers to join the mission, but only about 100 will be deployed at present. They will assist in the treatment of refugees, as well as provide medical support services. The mission is responding to a request from the Polish government as they try to deal with a large influx of Ukrainians fleeing the war. More than 4.7 million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries since the start of the Russian invasion in February. Of these, more than half – almost 2.7 million – have fled to Poland. Krakow, the second largest city in the country with a population of 800,000, was transformed within a few weeks into a city of almost one million after the arrival of about 150,000 displaced Ukrainians. CAF members were in Poland last week to consider deploying troops there to help with the refugee crisis. The government launched a special immigration program last month that will allow Ukrainian refugees to live and work in Canada for up to three years, promising to accept an “unlimited” number of refugees fleeing the Russian war.
