Ottawa’s help for fleeing Ukrainians is nowhere to be found, support groups say

OTTAWA — In the week since Valerii and Olena Zolotukhin arrived in Kelowna, BC, the couple has moved into a new apartment, started looking for a used car, and is thinking about launching a food processing business that would employ Ukrainian newcomers just like themselves.

Much of the help they’ve received so far has come from Canadians who have rallied around families like theirs, giving fleeing Ukrainians a place to sleep, providing transportation and offering free immigration advice.

But while they are extremely grateful for the support, Valerii and Olena’s arrival in Canada has not been easy.

They landed in Montreal at the end of March, passing through New Brunswick and Alberta before settling in Kelowna, where they hope to live permanently. That meant that even without jobs, the pair was forced to pay out of pocket for hotel rooms, car rentals and flights when needed.

“Without money, I can’t imagine,” Olena told the Star. “For people who are going to go to Canada without any financial support, it will be very difficult.”

Two weeks ago, as the couple was making their way across the country, the federal government announced three new measures for Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia: providing targeted charter flights to Canada, six weeks of income support at $500 per week and hotel accommodations for up to two weeks.

But none of those federal measures are up and running, something community groups say is unacceptable given that more than 56,000 applications have been greenlit through Canada’s primary pathway for bringing displaced Ukrainians into the country.

Those applications are among 164,000 others filed under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel, which is not a refugee stream but rather a temporary avenue to quickly bring in Ukrainians, allowing them to stay for up to three years.

“They’re just spinning their wheels,” said John Shalewa, president of the Edmonton branch of Ukrainian Canadian Social Services, a member organization of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. “They’re talking the talk, but they’re not putting things in place.”

While Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada could not say how many people have arrived in the country through the program, the numbers, along with Canada’s commitment to accept an “unlimited” number of Ukrainians, means groups supporting newcomers may soon need to contend with a swell of arrivals.

Denys Storozhuk leads Kelowna Stands with Ukraine, an organization that formed at the onset of the invasion to send military and medical supplies to Ukraine. The group is now shifting its focus to assist displaced Ukrainians arriving in the Okanagan, BC region, helping them find places to stay, driving them to job interviews and setting them up with bank accounts, mobile phones and provincial services.

The organization has helped around 15 families so far, including the Zolotukhins, leaning on 40 volunteers to get the job done. Through a Facebook group Storozhuk set up to connect Ukrainians with resources and opportunities, he estimates more than 3,000 newcomers might be interested in making Kelowna and the surrounding area their home.

“It’s a huge number that we won’t be able to deal with, and we don’t have any financial resources and volunteers for them. So obviously, we do need support,” said Storozhuk, who is now working to ensure he has enough help, donations and job opportunities to handle an increase in newcomers.

A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Sean Fraser’s office told the Star the government is still hammering out the details of the promised temporary supports and said more information on eligibility and accessing the program would be “made available soon.”

But even a bit more clarity would be better than no information at all, Shalewa said.

He said there is confusion over where the promised charter flights would depart and whether Ukrainians would need to fork over cash to board them.

“Are they expecting the people there to pay for them? Because if that’s the case, there’s nobody coming over,” he said.

What’s more, both Shalewa and Storozhuk said it’s not clear whether the $500 per week in temporary income support applies per person or per family, information that would significantly help people plan out their first weeks in Canada and reduce strain on community groups.

At a news conference last week, Fraser pointed to several steps Ottawa has taken so far, such as providing work and study permits and increasing access to settlement supports (since Ukrainians entering Canada now are not officially considered refugees, they don’t qualify for the same level of assistance). Provinces have been taking on other responsibilities, like providing health care and enrolling children in school.

Since the start of the year until mid-April, just under 20,000 people have arrived in Canada from Ukraine. The number includes both Ukrainian citizens and returning Canadian permanent residents of Ukrainian origin, and doesn’t specify how many people arrived as a direct result of the Russian invasion that began Feb. 24.

Shalewa said he’s fielding calls he can’t answer about when people will arrive, leading him to wonder how nations like Poland — which have taken in more than two million Ukrainians — rapidly welcomed so many newcomers.

“They’re handling it, so why wouldn’t we be able to handle it here?” he said.

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