Speaking at the Stand Up for Ukraine social networking event hosted by Global Citizen on Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trinto announced a series of measures to make it easier for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion to come to Canada.
These measures include charter flights to Canada for Ukrainians, short-term income support to ensure that their basic needs are met for six weeks, as well as temporary hotel accommodation for up to two weeks.
Canada’s Transport Minister Omar Algabra told a virtual news conference on Saturday that the federal government was in the process of finalizing details with Canadian airlines on the number of flights to be chartered and their reception points for refugees.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser said Canada would also exclude biometrics – fingerprints and identity cards – for Ukrainian refugees under the age of 18, over 60 and those who already have a Canadian visa without a visa. immigration problems.  He said the government was making the move to “reduce the pressure on biometric data collection”.
Speaking during the press conference, Fraser said the new measures will help more Ukrainians benefit from the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program and more details will be available in the coming days.
“We will do everything we can to ensure that the Ukrainians are supported during their stay in Canada,” Fraser said.
Fraser said the government continues to give priority to issuing Canadian passports and travel documents, proof of citizenship and visas, as well as student applications and work permits for Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine.
Fraser added that the Canadian government is also working to help facilitate travel for those Ukrainian refugees who may not have travel documents.
“This means that for family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents currently residing in Ukraine who do not have valid travel documents, the IRCC can issue one-way travel documents on an excellent basis to support their trip to Canada.” said Fraser.
Since launching the CUAET program last month, Fraser has said the federal government has approved more than 30,000 applications from Ukrainians seeking asylum in Canada under the program.  He noted that this number is in addition to “thousands” of applicants who were approved under different, pre-existing programs.
According to the Canadian Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Department (IRCC), the Canadian government had received nearly 60,000 applications by March 26.  The minister had previously stated that there would be no limit to the number of applications that would be accepted.
The CUAET program, launched by the federal government on March 17, is designed to create a “fast track” for temporary residence in Canada and includes streamlining existing visa and travel requirements, abolishing most fees and providing faster processing.
With CUAET, Ukrainians and their families can stay in Canada as temporary residents for three years.  Those arriving through this stream will also be eligible for an open-ended work permit that allows employment to virtually any employer in Canada for up to three years.  The federal government is urging Canadian employers to post job offers on Job Bank’s Jobs for Ukraine website in order to hire displaced Ukrainians.
The government has also recently extended resettlement support to Ukrainian refugees, offering “basic services” to help them settle in their new communities, such as language education, information about living in Canada, employment assistance and services for older women. young people and LGBTQ + people.
“This is what we have to do. We know that coming to live in a new country, even temporarily, is not easy and we will continue to look for ways to support the Ukrainians upon their arrival,” Fraser said.
During the Stand Up for Ukraine event, Trinto announced an additional $ 100 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine to help provide additional emergency health services on the ground and in neighboring countries, including injury care, protection and basic needs such as shelter, water and food.
Including new funding announced Saturday, the federal government has provided $ 245 million in humanitarian aid since January 2022 in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
“Whether it is food, water, shelter or medical help – we will continue to have your back and provide the help you need right now. We are also making it easier for Ukrainians fleeing the war to come to Canada. We stand for “Ukraine,” Trinto said.
He added that the Canadian government continues to work “twenty-four hours” to help Ukrainians.