Canada hosts conference on immigration, resettlement, and integration
The conference focused a great deal of attention on the crisis in Ukraine.
The crisis in Ukraine and the desire to provide humanitarian assistance to those fleeing the country were in the spotlight this past Thursday in Vancouver. Leading Canadian immigration and policy experts gathered at a national conference convened to find solutions together.
The 24th Metropolis National Conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The meeting was not held in a face-to-face format for three years because of COVID-19. Its return in 2022 was not out of place as the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate.
The multi-day conference is designed to hold discussions on immigration, entry and refugee resettlement. Among the speakers at the conference was Alexandra Hychy, president of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress. She urged the federal government to do more to support Ukrainians leaving their country. In particular, she spoke of the need to grant them refugee status in accordance with the provisions of the 1951 Geneva Convention.
Municipal Affairs Minister Nathan Cullen, responsible for Ukraine-related issues, was also scheduled to appear but was unable to due to illness. His colleague Sean Fraser, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, recorded a video message for the conference. In his address, Fraser praised the federal government's efforts to get Ukrainian refugees to Canada quickly.
"We have created a Canada-Ukraine emergency travel authorization. There is no limit to the number of applications in this stream. This program provides the fastest way to accommodate as many Ukrainians as possible and allows them to stay in the country for up to 3 years," Fraser said.
But Hychy called the federal program a tourist visa with a work permit attached, which in her view would do nothing to help women and children fleeing violence.
"Without the necessary support, a visitor visa with a work permit is nothing more than a plan to fill Canada's labour shortage disguised as humanitarian aid," she said. "They need a hand out to help, not a hand out with a mop or an apron.
Khychy said refugees need access to a whole network of professionals, including social workers, specialists who can help them with mental and physical recovery, as well as teachers and lawyers. She also called for an arrival plan, including regularizing air transportation and quarantining Ukrainians upon arrival in Canada.
