For a Ukrainian family in Winnipeg, staying in Canada is a must.
Oleksandra and Roman Borys have been in the country for two and a half years and are still waiting to find out if their family qualifies for the provincial nomination program.
The family came to Winnipeg from kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and Oleksandra said the contrast couldn't be starker.
“It's really unsafe there right now because Russia bombs Ukraine every day,” he said. “Every day. Every day someone dies (there). It's like a lottery: you never know if you'll be next.
“You feel good (in Winnipeg), with all these friendly people. “You feel respected and cared for by people.”
The family applied for the provincial nomination program two years ago, but their application is still in limbo. Many of his friends, who applied around the same time, were approved.
The couple has two daughters, ages 9 and 18, and the youngest, Yuliana, has special needs and uses a wheelchair. Oleksandra said the education system in this country has been an eye-opener and one of the main reasons they hope to stay in Canada.
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“The most important thing is that I can get some education here in Canada, and I have never had this option in Ukraine,” he said.
Roman added that the roots the family has put down here are too strong to abandon, even if the war were to end. She feels that her daughter receives more support and acceptance than ever in Ukraine.
“When we arrived in Canada, I saw that all the doors could be opened with a button. So if you are in a wheelchair, you can open any door. It is open to anyone who is in a wheelchair,” Román said. “That doesn't happen in Ukraine.”
A statement from Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino calls the situation concerning and says she has directed her staff to investigate the lengthy delays “which appear to be an outlier beyond standard processing times.” The province says it aims to process applications within months, but it often takes longer.
Cuts to the Provincial Nominee Program could mean future challenges for prospective immigrants in Manitoba, as well as certain labor markets, says a Winnipeg immigration lawyer.
“There is no easy solution to this,” Alastair Clarke of Clarke Immigration Law told Global Winnipeg.
“Within our work, a lot of what we do is trying to manage people's expectations and trying to deal with high levels of anxiety and depression. “People are very frustrated.”
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