QUESTION PERIOD — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Ukrainian Refugees
September 21, 2023
Government leader, many Ukrainians believed us when Canada offered refuge, work and a welcoming embrace. I think the unanimous motion here today reinforces that early promise.
However, those with everything in order, with documents submitted, who have paid their own way here, are still waiting months for work visas, stuck in limbo. Their calls are not answered, their employers’ calls are not answered and I cannot get any answers on their behalf.
People need a place to live. People need to eat. They need work. They need an income. Not being able to work makes it impossible to stay or to go.
When will you put the people and resources in place to end the backlog? In my community, Ukrainians came to work in agriculture; now harvest is almost done.
How long should people fleeing death have to wait? Why is the government unwilling to do what it promised it would do and provide proper refuge for Ukrainians?
Thank you for your question and for highlighting the challenges that still face Ukrainian refugees here — and, indeed, too many immigrants who have come here and are still waiting for final resolution of their applications. The government has put resources in place — and will continue to put resources in place — and is working diligently to address the backlog to which you refer.
We have made a promise and a commitment, and the President of Ukraine is arriving tomorrow. This is a question that can be solved. Can you put some kind of timeline on it? I have one constituent who has been waiting without a cent coming into his pocket since June 15, having filled out every form, having paid his own way and living off the kindness of strangers in our community.
Thank you for the question. I certainly will bring these to the attention of the minister. I can also tell you that I have the personal experience to which you refer of someone who on approximately the same timeline is still waiting for resolution. I understand these things take time and I understand the frustration and difficulty that the delays or the times imposed. The government is working as hard as it can to address them.
