At least eight Ukrainian nationals have arrived to live and work in the Yukon since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
That number could be higher, but that’s the confirmed minimum number, according to the Yukon government.
“We’re glad that they’ve come and made sure that they’re in a safe position now,” said Ranj Pillai, who is the minister responsible for immigration and housing.
Whitehorse resident and organizer Jeff Sloychuk said there will be three more Ukrainians coming in the next couple of weeks, in addition to other members of the Ukrainian community who have brought in family members.
“It means a lot to us that people are safe,” he said.
Sloychuk said he will be welcoming Kyrylo Kapralov, 18, from Bucha into a spare bedroom in his home next month.
“There’s very little to go back to in that village or that town because it was pretty well destroyed,” Sloychuk said.
Ukrainian nationals are coming in under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) special Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel measures as a way to expedite the process, Pillai explained. He said those individuals are not coming in under the Yukon nominee program nor the federal refugee process.
“When we began this conversation with the community, the term that we were using was refugee,” Pillai said.
“It was because we saw these individuals were going to be displaced because of war.”
Newcomer numbers
A federal spokesperson said by email Aug. 25 that more than 74,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada between Jan. 1 and Aug. 14 under the new federal measures and as Canadian permanent residents of Ukrainian origin.
“When responding to international crises, there are often similarities in that people may be fleeing persecution of some sort, but the immigration response may differ,” Michelle Carbert said on behalf of IRCC.
“Canada tailors each response to meet the unique needs of those who require our support.”
Open IRCC data on the number of government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees admitted by country of citizenship from January 2015 to June 2022 shows, for example, 25,265 resettled refugees from Afghanistan and 82,955 resettled refugees from Syria out of 200,275 refugees from the dozens of countries listed.
In response to the Ukraine situation, the temporary measures are intended to bring “as many Ukrainians as we can to Canada as quickly as possible,” Carbert explained.
“This is not a refugee program, as Ukrainians have indicated that they need temporary safe harbour, and many of them intend to return to their home country when it will be safe to do so.”
The federal measures allow Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members of any nationality to stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to three years.
“Ukrainians are eligible for a free open work permit or study permit, which allows them to take a job with almost any Canadian employer or enroll in an education program in Canada,” Carbert said.
New homes
Pillai noted the “long history” of Ukrainian diaspora coming to the Yukon and “making this their home.”
He said some members of the Yukon community have made room in their own homes for the latest newcomers to come.
“It’s part of our DNA in the Yukon, that we’re going to step up to help people,” Pillai said.
“This is just another situation where people feel very strongly about helping where they can, and we feel this is a good, safe place for people to come.”
Pillai addressed the housing crunch the territory is already facing as newcomers arrive to the Yukon.
“We know we’re in a very tight position with housing right now, and we’re very aware of that,” he said.
“We’re trying to make sure we can help as many people as possible, but we’re also taking into consideration that the best success will be if there’s a home waiting for them here with a family member, friend or somebody who has stepped up to volunteer that space.”
While the Yukon nominee program sets a federally mandated target of bringing in 300 people from other countries, there is no set target for the number of people coming in from Ukraine. Pillai said that is something that is being monitored for the future.
“Right now, it seems that everybody who has made a decision to come here has found appropriate lodging and a place to stay,” he said.
“We’ve been able to support individuals who have come in in appropriate manner.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian flag has been raised at Whitehorse City Hall to mark 31 years since Ukraine Independence Day and six months since the country was invaded by Russia, according to a Aug. 24 Facebook post by the city of Whitehorse.
“We stand with residents of Ukraine, and with local families of Ukrainian background,” the city said.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com