QUESTION PERIOD — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Resettlement of Displaced Ukrainians
May 12, 2022
Honourable senators, my question is for Senator Gold.
Since Canada launched the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program, over 200,000 displaced Ukrainians have applied for entry to Canada, about 90,000 applications have been approved and about 500 arrive daily. I am concerned that post-arrival success for those who are making their way here may be jeopardized by inadequate support provided to them after they arrive.
Specifically, I am concerned about three issues. First, the cost of medical examinations is about $450 per adult, quite the amount for a person fleeing their home with not much more than they can carry. Without this examination, they cannot apply for a work permit. Second, currently, displaced Ukrainians arriving with children do not have immediate access to the Canada Child Benefit, which is available to other refugee populations. And finally, it is still unclear what the federal income support that the Prime Minister announced on April 9, 2022, will actually be, both in amount and duration.
What is the federal government doing to address these time-sensitive financial issues, and when will they be doing this?
Thank you, senator, for the question.
I have been advised that with regard to medical examinations, they are required in limited circumstances and are specific to the professions that are higher risk, such as in health care and those that require close contact with the public.
As senators know, the resettlement efforts to welcome Ukrainians differ from refugee resettlement efforts. Refugee resettlements are best suited for protracted situations where there is an agency infrastructure set up, and where no other durable, long-term solutions for safety and a return home exist.
The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel, or CUAET, was designed to respond quickly, and it provides for targeted support and response to the needs communicated, notably, by the Ukrainian nationals, who are not ready to make long-term decisions about their futures.
Recently, I’ve been advised that the minister announced a series of measures to make it easier to support Ukrainians, such as providing short-term income support to ensure basic needs are met, and I am advised that details will be provided shortly.
Working with its provincial and territorial partners, with the Ukrainian-Canadian community, the business community and settlement organizations across the country, the government will make sure that everyone arriving under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program has access to the services that they need.
There have also been concerns raised by the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance that the sheer numbers of displaced persons who have applied to come to Canada is such that the current settlement sector may not have capacity to provide the needed assistance for a successful integration. Is there a plan for the Government of Canada to introduce a cap to this program or to provide immediate additional financial support to immigrant-serving agencies across the country who are doing such good work to assist these newcomers to Canada?
Good work it is, indeed. Thank you for the question.
I am advised there is no cap on the CUAET. The government has provided new funding of $111 million over five years, with $6 million in future years, to implement these new immigration measures. This funding will help to set up the new immigration pathways, expedite the processing of applications and provide support to Ukrainians once they arrive in Canada.
The government continues to engage with our partners in the settlement sector on how to best support Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s war.
