The Department of Immigration has budgeted for the war in Ukraine to continue into 2024. Managers set aside millions to cover free hotel bookings for unsponsored refugees who land in Canada with no place to stay, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“Canada is seeking to establish a contract for booking services and temporary accommodations…for a period of up to 12 months including all options,” the department wrote in a contract notice to hotelkeepers. Costs for the year were budgeted at $3.75 million..Ukrainian refugees are offered up to 14 nights’ free stay at hotels in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg Toronto, Ottawa, Moncton, Halifax and St. John’s, said the notice Temporary Accommodations And Booking Services. “There is no limit to the number of people who will be welcomed,” it said..“The world is facing unprecedented flows of migrants and refugees and Canada is not immune to these trends,” wrote staff. “The Department of Immigration’s mission is to build a stronger Canada by developing and implementing policies, programs and services that facilitate the arrival, settlement and integration of newcomers to Canada.”.Cabinet last March 17 introduced its Ukraine Authorization For Emergency Travel program as “a special accelerated temporary residence pathway for Ukrainians seeking safety in Canada while the conflict in their home country continues.” To date, 882,222 Ukrainians have applied for free residency permits – the equivalent of two percent of Ukraine’s pre-war population – and 575,210 have been approved, by department estimate. A total 172,220 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada..Cabinet in a Supplementary (C) budget document tabled in the Commons February 15 put Ukrainian immigration aid at $170 million this year including free charter flights, individual grants up to $3,000 and free permits. “Ukrainians and their family members of any nationality may stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to three years,” said the department..“They will also be eligible for a free open work permit or study permit which will allow them to work for almost any Canadian employer or enroll in a Canadian education program,” it said..“Additional assistance arises as Ukrainians continue to arrive in Canada,” the Department of Social Development wrote in a briefing note last September 20, Service Canada Support To Ukrainian Newcomers. “Associations and service provider organizations across the country are looking into options to help Ukrainians settle and expedite their career and work integration.”.Cabinet from the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February 24 waived numerous regulations to aid refugees. A total 1.3 million Canadians are of Ukrainian ancestry with half the population, some 646,000 living in Prairie provinces, according to Census data. Ukrainian-Canadians nationwide outnumber Dutch (989,000) Poles (983,000), Jamaicans (249,000), Lebanese (211,000) and Mexicans (155,000).
