Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced on Wednesday the launch of a fund to finance Ukrainian air travel to Canada.
The Ukraine-Canada Fund, to which Canadians are called upon to contribute, is the result of a partnership with Air Canada and the Miles4Migrants organizations and the Shapiro Foundation, he said at a press briefing in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Air Canada is donating 100 million Aeroplan points to this initiative and the Shapiro Foundation is committed to matching contributions made by Canadians up to 50 million points.
Individuals and companies wishing to make a donation are therefore invited to do so using their Aeroplan points as of Wednesday, but cash contributions will also be collected through the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto.
“The extraordinary generosity we are seeing from the Shapiro Foundation and Air Canada is one of the most effective and efficient ways for people to get to Canada given the unique facet of this crisis. […] or some [Ukrainiens] are in Warsaw as well as in Vienna, Bratislava, Bucharest or Berlin,” Mr. Fraser argued.
Air Canada’s vice-president of government relations, David Rheault, said Ukrainians who can benefit from these donations will have access to flights from several other airlines.
“Our contribution [leur] will allow […] to have access to the Air Canada network, but also to those of our various Star Alliance partners, such as Lufthansa, LOT Polish Airlines, SWISS and United Airlines”, he listed.
The aim of the announced fund is to allow at least 10,000 Ukrainians and their families to reach the country, it is stated in the press release from the Ministry of Immigration.
Bloc Québécois immigration critic Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe ridiculed the Trudeau government’s announcement, urging it instead to act on its promise to offer charter flights to Ukrainians wishing to reach Canada.
“While a war is raging in Ukraine, causing the displacement of millions of people and after weeks of asking the federal government to do its part by chartering planes to bring Ukrainians to Quebec and Canada, the Minister announces today today an Aeroplan points program. It would be laughable if it weren’t so sad,” he responded in a written statement.
Ottawa has committed to arranging charter flights for Ukrainians who have been approved under the Canada-Ukraine Emergency Travel Authorization (AVUCU). The program is intended to be a fast track to three-year temporary residency for Ukrainians and their immediate family members, and Fraser said Wednesday that more than 54,000 applications have been approved so far.
The minister said work is continuing on planning charter flights, but added that the best way to meet everyone’s needs is through a “combination” with commercial flights.
He reiterated that the fact that Ukrainians are in different countries in Europe complicates a solution that would only go through charter flights.
“Of course, being able to take advantage of the program announced today will undoubtedly change many people’s plans (ie) whether they want to wait for a government charter or take a commercial option,” Fraser said.
He added that Ottawa is awaiting, in order to better plan the follow-up, the answers to a survey in which Ukrainians authorized to come to Canada with the AVUCU were able to specify where they are.