Immigration minister says Ukrainian refugees could remain in Canada for 'at least a few years'
As the head of NATO warns the war in Ukraine could last for years, the federal minister responsible for refugees says Ukrainians fleeing the conflict could be in Canada for some time.
“War is absolute chaos,” said Sean Fraser, Canada’s minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship (IRCC) in an interview with CTV Atlantic Sunday.
“No matter how long it might take, if we believe in the values of territorial integrity of nations, of the self-determination of peoples and of the sovereignty of states, then we have to breathe life into those actions.”
Fraser, the MP for Central Nova, says there are currently more than 32,000 Ukrainian refugees in Canada, and for the majority of them, the transition to life in a new country has “gone well.”
IRCC is working with different levels of government, non-profits and the private sector to set Ukrainians up for success in Canada “because they could be here for certainly at least a few years,” said Fraser.
With hundreds of thousands of job vacancies across the country, Fraser says the majority of Ukrainians he’s spoken to have signed up for work or study permits.
“They don’t want to be charity cases when they arrive. They say, ‘You’ve been kind enough to welcome me to your country, I’m going to make a contribution.’”
Financial supports for Ukrainian refugees range from $3,000 for adults to $1,500 for children.
While those payments are available one time only, Fraser says his agency is working with partners in both the private and public sector to make sure Ukrainians continue to be supported.
“It’s one thing to get them here,” he said. “We’ll be far better off in the long run if we do it the right way and support them after they land in Canada.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.