3 Ukrainian kids stuck in Mexico, can’t get back to Edmonton | 24CA News

Three Ukrainian kids who escaped the struggle and moved to Edmonton at the moment are caught in Mexico.

Their authorized guardian was stunned to study the youngsters couldn’t get again into Canada and is begging the federal government for assist.

“Now everything is broken again,” Olga Ostapiv mentioned. She adopted the youngsters to assist them escape war-torn Ukraine.

Ostapiv says she needed to assist them neglect concerning the struggle and determined to take them on a trip she had pre-booked earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine.

However, when it got here time to go again to the airport, she discovered the youngsters couldn’t fly again to Canada.

Ostapiv is a Canadian citizen, however her three adopted kids, Anastasia, Yulia and Maksim, aren’t.

They maintain a CUAET (Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency journey), which grants them one-time entry into the nation. It shouldn’t be thought of a refugee program.

4:07Leaving Ukraine and adjusting to life in Canada

Ostapiv accepts all duty and says it’s her mistake, however says as a result of her English isn’t nice, she requested immigration officers if the youngsters may journey with these paperwork and was instructed sure.

“When I’m doing (a) mistake and it only hurts me, it is OK, but when by mistake (makes the kids suffer), and they’re looking at me and (saying), ‘Don’t leave us! We need to (come back to Canada),’” she mentioned.

“They are such good, nice kids.”

The three kids have been trapped in Mexico for 2 months now, lodge hopping on a weekly foundation and unable to return to Edmonton.

“It’s very hard to find space and to move out,” Ostapiv mentioned. “Please, if it’s possible, just help me to bring them back home.”

She explains the youngsters began college in September and are a part of a number of extracurriculars and golf equipment and are devastated by the state of affairs.

Ostapiv has reapplied for CUAET standing and he or she and Mike Thomas, a Ukraine aid organizer, despatched emails to the Canadian immigration workplace in addition to the ministry however has not heard again.

“They specifically asked if they could take them to Mexico but were not warned that their entry document was one time only,” Thomas defined in an e-mail to the federal authorities.

“We need emergency issuance of new travel documents for these kids so they can return to Edmonton before this Canadian family goes bankrupt.”

He tells Global News that he’s tried to contact different members of parliament as properly however has not acquired a response.

His concern is ready one other six to eight months for a brand new visa to be issued.

In a press release, Minister Rajan Sawney’s workplace says it’s a severe difficulty however a federal one.

“We’re hopeful the federal government can expedite their visa extension approval process to assist Ukraine evacuees, especially children,” a press release from her learn.

Global News reached out quite a few occasions to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, however acquired a generic response.

The division wouldn’t touch upon whether or not it might or may assist Ostapiv and the three kids.

Instead, it defined what a CUAET is.

“The CUAET is a temporary program leveraging our existing temporary resident visa processes, networks and infrastructure to bring as many Ukrainians as we can to Canada as quickly as possible,” the workplace mentioned.

“The time it takes to process an application varies according to a number of factors and more complex applications may take longer. We continue to process applications as quickly as possible.”

Global News requested for extra clarification however didn’t obtain a response.

2:15Emotional reunion for Ukrainian household in Calgary

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