Canada has not set a restrict on what number of Ukrainian refugees, wishing to return briefly, it's going to settle for for one primary motive — most wish to return house, Canada's immigration minister says.
"One of many first issues we heard from the Ukrainian-Canadian neighborhood is that the overwhelming majority of the individuals who wish to come to Canada do not wish to keep," Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser instructed CTV's Query Interval on Sunday.
"If we discovered something about Ukrainians who're fleeing this battle, it is that they love their homeland they usually wish to return when the battle is over."
The federal authorities introduced two new applications for Ukrainian refugees earlier this week: one for these wishing to remain completely and one other for many who wish to come briefly, known as the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Journey.
It comes as Canada has accepted 6,265 Ukrainians for the reason that starting of January, Fraser says.
Canada is house to the world's second-largest Ukrainian diaspora after Russia, with about 1.3 million individuals.
The United Nations says greater than 1.5 million individuals have already fled Ukraine to neighbouring nations.
Fraser says in contemplating the way to carry Ukrainians to Canada, a refugee resettlement program would have taken too lengthy. The federal authorities is also waiving most visa necessities to assist these wishing to return to Canada briefly.
In response to calls to make journey for Ukrainian refugees visa-free, he says the required modifications from a regulatory and IT perspective would have taken wherever from 12 to 14 weeks to arrange.
He additionally says the federal authorities desires to stop these preventing in opposition to Ukrainian forces, akin to within the separatist Donbas area of Ukraine, from moving into this system.
"We have managed to get biometrics within the area over the previous six weeks, so we are able to course of individuals for safety on an expedited foundation and welcome individuals right here as quick as potential, but in addition within the most secure potential approach," Fraser stated.
Requested concerning the distinction in applications for Ukrainian versus Afghan refugees, Fraser says one of many largest variations is these fleeing Afghanistan wish to come to remain completely.
Canada has pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghans, lots of whom helped Canadian Armed Forces throughout the battle in Afghanistan. As of March 4, Canada has resettled 8,580 Afghan refugees.
Whereas Ukrainians fleeing their nation have secure passage to different neighbouring nations akin to Poland, Slovakia or Hungary, Fraser says Canada helps a particular group of Afghan nationals who're largely nonetheless in Afghanistan, which stays beneath Taliban management.
"So the circumstances are fairly totally different between the 2 efforts, however I am very proud as a result of Canada in each Ukraine and Afghanistan has actually turn out to be the world chief in the case of welcoming these fleeing humanitarian crises," Fraser stated.
With the present battle in Ukraine persevering with unabated following Russia's invasion of the nation a couple of week-and-a-half in the past, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is about to meet along with his European counterparts beginning Monday, together with the prime ministers of the UK and the Netherlands, in addition to leaders in Riga, Latvia; Berlin; and Warsaw, Poland.
Canada has despatched, or pledged, weapons and hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-lethal help to Ukraine.
Fraser says whereas Canada desires to do every little thing it may well to help Ukraine's efforts to defend its homeland and people fleeing the nation, NATO's allies additionally do not wish to be seen by Russia because the "aggressor."
Regardless of calls from Ukraine for a no-fly zone, NATO has dominated out that possibility as it will successfully imply the taking pictures down of Russian planes.
"We wish to keep away from giving any excuse for Putin to start out labelling this as a battle of aggression on the a part of NATO or our western allies," Fraser stated.
"We will do no matter we are able to to help Ukraine in its time of want, however we do wish to keep away from creating an excuse to launch a Third World Conflict in Europe."
With recordsdata from CTV Information Winnipeg reporter Josh Crabb, CTVNews.ca on-line politics producer Rachel Aiello, The Canadian Press and The Related Press
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