Ukrainian Maritimers celebrate extension of program to support war refugees | 24CA News
Oksana Tesla, president of the Ukrainian Association Volya of Fredericton, mentioned she was ready with bated breath Wednesday for news of the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program.
“It was quite pressing because it was unknown if they were going to extend it or not,” she mentioned in an interview.
The CAUET program expedites visas and momentary residency permits for Ukrainians and their households. It was set to run out on March thirty first.
Then, in a livestream press convention on Wednesday, federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser introduced this system will likely be prolonged into July.
“So yes, I was live listening, and I notified my community,” Tesla mentioned.
“That was the right move by the Government of Canada.”
Tesla mentioned she is aware of many Ukrainians who will likely be relieved.
They will now have till July 15 to use, and they are going to be eligible for the helps that include this system till March 31, 2024.
According to the latest federal authorities knowledge, nearly 135,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada by means of CUAET over the previous 12 months.
The authorities obtained greater than 940,000 functions for this system in the identical time span.
At Wednesday’s press convention, Fraser mentioned many of those immigrants are settling in Atlantic Canada.
“What we’ve seen over the past few years is explosive growth, including through immigration, in Atlantic Canada, for example, through the adoption of the Atlantic immigration program,” he mentioned.
“It’s not just (Halifax and Moncton) in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, but small towns and rural communities that are seeing people come, as well.”
Nova Scotia Ukrainian Canadian Congress president Lyubov Zhyznomirska says roughly 3,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Nova Scotia beneath this system.
She urges Canadians to have empathy for newer refugees who’ve skilled the warfare for longer and should have witnessed troubling occasions.
“We might be seeing the arrival of people who are more impacted by the war,” she mentioned.
“So I just want Canadians to continue welcoming people coming here from the war … and be sensitive to the issue of trauma.”
Tesla estimates roughly 300 Ukrainians settled in Fredericton by means of this system over the previous 12 months.
“I am happy and sad because of the tragic circumstances. But (the Ukrainian community) is growing like crazy,” she mentioned.
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