Ukrainian nationals fleeing the ongoing war in Ukraine arrive at Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Stakeholders and experts say it may be time to offer more permanent status to Ukrainians who fled to Canada from the Russian invasion, but Canada will need to consult carefully with the Ukrainian government first. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
OTTAWA – Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says he plans to announce a long-awaited program to grant permanent residency to Ukrainians with familial ties to Canada soon, but a similar program for other Ukrainians is still a ways away.
Canada took the unusual step last year of offering temporary refuge to an unlimited number of Ukrainians fleeing the war, and so far 230,000 have made the journey.
The government also promised a family reunification program for Ukrainians that would offer those with familial ties to Canada permanent residency status, but that has yet to be realized.
Fraser says those who don’t qualify for family reunification can still apply for permanent residency through traditional immigration streams.
The government plans to assess whether more needs to be done to secure permanent residency for other Ukrainians over the next year or two.
McGill Institute for the Study of Canada director Daniel Béland says the government will need to co-ordinate with the Ukrainian government, since offering permanent residency could signal a lack of optimism about Ukraine’s ability to beat the Russian military out of its sovereign borders.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2023.
