Quebecers seek Ukrainians (and vice versa)

Olha and her two young daughters, who live near Odessa, Ukraine, took refuge in France after the war broke out. From there, Olha applied for a temporary visa to come and settle in Canada until peace returned to her country of origin.

Catherine Handfield
The Press

On Facebook, the young mother posted an ad to find temporary accommodation in Montreal that will be ready when she and her daughters put down their suitcases.

His post has been shared more than 26,000 times on the social network. Olha and her husband, Dmytro, have received more than 1000 private messages from people wishing to offer them all kinds of help: housing, work, food, children’s clothes…

Joined in the center of Ukraine, Dmytro, who speaks very good French, said he was both moved and stunned by the eagerness of Quebecers to want to help them. The 27-year-old asked to withhold his last name and that of his wife for security reasons. As the men are not allowed to leave the country, Dmytro is still in Ukraine hoping to be reunited with his family soon.

“We didn’t expect so many people to respond to this post,” says Dmytro, who says they try to respond to everyone who writes to thank them. Already, a few places where the family could settle have been identified. “All of this makes me believe that there are still good, nice, nice people out there,” says Dmytro. It makes me believe, again, in humanity. »

60,000 requests

Since March 17, Ukrainians can apply for temporary residence to come and stay in Canada for three years. This is a new simplified program with accelerated processing. Ukrainians will be able to obtain a free work permit or study in Canada. The Canadian and Quebec governments have announced that they will not restrict the number of applications.

As of March 26, Immigration Canada had already received some 60,000 applications for this special program. As the assessment of files will take two to three weeks, the first waves of temporary Ukrainian immigrants should arrive in Canada from 1^er April. It is difficult to know how many of them will opt for Quebec, which has eight times fewer Ukrainian descendants than Alberta and Ontario.

But already, as many Europeans have done since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Quebecers are raising their hands to open their doors to them.

This is the case of former city councilor Richard Ryan, who is about to leave on a four-month trip to Spain. Instead of renting his Mile End apartment during his vacation, he prefers to house Ukrainians there for free. He therefore offered it to a few Ukrainian families who posted a request for help on the Facebook group CANADA – Host Ukrainians/Hébergeons les Ukrainiens.

“It’s going to be my personal contribution,” said Richard Ryan. I won’t be there, but I have a great network – I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 35 years. And there are fantastic people in the neighborhood who can help them. »

“It warms my heart to see this mobilization to help Ukrainians,” adds Mr. Ryan, who has been an immigration worker for several years.

Danielle Bourgault and her spouse – two retirees – also want to welcome a Ukrainian family to their large condo in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, near Quebec City. Their children have left home, they have room.

“It’s a big responsibility and we are aware of what that entails,” said Danielle Bourgault, revolted by the war in Ukraine. Our role will be to be their safety net when they arrive in Canada. »

According to Michael Shwec, President of the Quebec Council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Quebecers and Ukrainians have a lot in common. “Quebecers give two beaks, Ukrainians give three. We are generous, warm people who want to help. And when we want to help, we open our doors. »

How to be useful?

Ukrainians like Olha and Dmytro prefer to establish direct links with Quebecers before their arrival, but others will arrive at the Montreal-Trudeau airport without having any accommodation plans. Obviously, no one will end up on the street: there is already a well-established network to welcome refugees and asylum seekers. These resources will also be made available to Ukrainians who need them.

Quebec announced last week that a stand will be set up at Montreal-Trudeau airport to welcome Ukrainian immigrants and explain to them the services available to them (last-resort financial assistance, health insurance, etc.). Like refugees, they will be able to benefit from temporary accommodation (generally a few days in a hotel). Partner organizations will then help them find permanent accommodation – the sinews of war.

Will Quebecers who wish to welcome Ukrainians be useful?

“I think that, in the short term, it will fill a need,” says Michael Shwec, of the Quebec Council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. On its website, the organization collects the names of people who want to volunteer to support Ukraine. To date, more than 2,000 people have filled out the form, half of whom are ready to house people in their homes. This list will be given to the municipal and provincial authorities.

“Organizations will definitely be able to pick from the list,” says Stephan Reichhold, director of the Roundtable of organizations serving refugees and immigrants. What we are looking for, above all, are entire dwellings for rent. »

Mr. Reichhold points out that homestay accommodation poses a security risk for Ukrainians arriving in the country – the vast majority of whom are women, children and the elderly. In Europe, cases of sexual assault against vulnerable Ukrainian women have been reported.

The wish would be for the competent authorities to be able to check the backgrounds of the people on the list. Mr. Shwec encourages organizations and municipalities that have their own lists to do the same.

Security issues

Many Ukrainians establish links with potential hosts without intermediaries, on online platforms such as icanhelp.host, UkraineTakeShelter.com and shelter4ua.com, or even on Facebook groups.

As twinning represents a great organizational challenge, these ways of doing things simplify things. However, it is up to the refugees to verify the profile of the hosts and to the hosts to verify the legitimacy of the refugees (beware of scams!). Online platforms and Facebook groups often offer security policies.

On the CANADA – Host Ukrainians/Hébergeons les Ukrainiens Facebook group, a man allegedly recently offered three Ukrainian women in their twenties to pay for their plane tickets to bring them to Canada. Members of the group expressed their “suspicions” and mobilized to find an alternative, safer solution. The administrators of the Facebook group, who intervened in the case, did not respond to interview requests from The Press.

“If Roger, on the corner of my street, finds a woman on Facebook, pays for her plane ticket and picks her up at Dorval airport, no one will know anything about it,” summarizes Michael Shwec. According to him, if the government sent planes to evacuate Ukrainians to Canada (as it did, for example, in Syria), it would be easier to ensure the safety of Ukrainian women.

In addition, immigrant families may need guidance and support, underlines Michael Shwec, according to whom there are still gaps to be filled. “It is mainly mothers and children who will come, who do not know if their husband is alive or not,” he recalls.