The reception kiosk for Ukrainian refugees set up at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport received 436 people between 1er and April 18, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI).
Posted yesterday at 4:09 p.m.
MIFI reports that 300 adults and 136 children, in 248 family units, crossed the Canadian border through this small government facility. “Note that this is the number of people arriving by their own means at the Montreal airport,” said in writing the director of communications of the Ministry, Émilie Vézina.
This kiosk, visibly identifiable in the international arrivals area, is jointly manned by MIFI employees and workers from the Social Center for Immigrant Assistance, who speak Russian and Ukrainian. This is a way of allowing Ukrainian nationals to obtain adequate information as soon as they arrive on Quebec territory, in their mother tongue.
The staff is trained to direct newcomers to organizations “that can help them in their settlement process” or to “offer temporary emergency accommodation to people who arrive without having identified a place to stay. “, again according to the MIFI. The kiosk is open according to the arrival of flights from Europe: from noon to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
On March 24, the Quebec government announced a series of measures concerning the arrival of Ukrainians in the province. This included last-resort financial assistance, coverage from the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec and francization courses.
In Canada
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has confirmed to The Press that 14,115 Ukrainian citizens had entered the country between February 21 and April 17, i.e. since the start of the Russian invasion. Note that this number includes people who are both permanent residents of Canada and citizens of Ukraine.
A total of 11,198 nationals of the country invaded by Russia entered Canada by air, while 2,971 people did so by land.
Data compiled by the CBSA shows a steady increase in the number of Ukrainian citizens being welcomed on Canadian soil week after week. During the most recent, that of April 11 to 17, there were 3,031 arrivals. This is about five times more than during the first week of the war in Ukraine, when we counted 617 people received in Canada.
The CBSA also points out that 5,513 Ukrainian citizens entered Canada between 1er January and February 21, i.e. during the year 2022, but before the conflict breaks out.
With the collaboration of Mélanie Marquis, The Press