A Ukrainian woman living in Quebec is calling on the federal government to facilitate and speed up procedures to welcome refugees from her country of origin, while she is stepping up efforts to bring in 500 Ukrainian children who are currently living in orphanages.
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Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Lyubov Serebryakova has been working day and night in the hope of bringing these children to Canada as soon as possible.
She is the president and founder of the organization Grace des enfants, which supports adoptive families.
“We believe that this is where they will be safe, far from the atrocities of war,” said Ms.me Serebryakova.
For the time being, these children would be entrusted to the families for a maximum period of two years.
While some of the 500 children are currently in Poland, others are still in institutions in eastern Ukraine.
It indicates that 300 Canadian families, mostly in Quebec, are ready to welcome these children aged 2 to 17.
“Some families are even ready to buy a plane ticket for the children,” says Mme Serebryakova.
Several barriers
However, the organization faces several obstacles. There is the lack of information from the federal government and its upcoming programs, and the fact that some children do not have any official document that would allow them to come to Canada.
“There are also other children whose parents died recently, hostages or injured,” she continues.
On the other hand, it must also coordinate its steps with the Ukrainian government and the committee responsible for the evacuation of children in a difficult context.
“Under the bombardments and from a distance, it complicates things,” she laments.
She does not know when the children will be able to come, under which program they will be eligible and what services they will be entitled to, referring in particular to education and health care.
Meanwhile, many of these children are still in a hostile zone, while families here are ready to offer them a safe living environment.
Since the beginning of the war, orphanages have been the target of the Russians, including the orphanage of Druzhbovka and that of Vorzel, near Kyiv, in which there were about fifty children.
Adoption
In the context of war, it is not possible to adopt a child officially, since it is sometimes difficult to know what has happened to the parents or if relatives wish to take care of it.
Procedures already exist to repatriate children once the war is over.
For the young Ukrainians who would find themselves without a family once peace is restored, Mme Serebryakova says the official adoption issue remains a matter to be settled between the Canadian and Ukrainian governments.
The federal government has launched two programs to help Ukrainians come to Canada. Details must be given by March 17.