Manitoba's Response to Ukrainian Refugees

 Above, Biden addressing the G7 about response to Russian invasion of Ukraine. White House Photo

The invasion Of Ukraine by Russia continues and refugees are now fleeing across the borders to Europe. Canada has evacuated its embassy in Kyiv and moved our 200 troops out of the country. There hundreds more Canadian military forces being deployed troops to bolster the nearly 500 in Latvia as well thousands more on standby. 

Vladimir Putin seems intent on taking more than the eastern part of Ukraine and Crimea with attacks are in every part of the country. Watching women and children cross the border into Europe as their husbands, fathers and brothers are required to stay and fight is heartbreaking. Many never believed it would come to this.

Ukraine has 40 million or so people and some will not likely be able to return safely or freely to their country. Among the population are probably Canadian passport holders. Our ability to help them in a war zone will be impossible and there only hope is to flee. How long the conflict goes on is unknown but as point of reference, the battle in the east has lasted eight years.

Canada’s response seems wholly inadequate. The only thing we can is to act as a refuge as we have done many times in the past. In 2016, Canada took in 25,000 refugees from Syria with little to no problem other than making sure the supports were in place.  In the 1990s, Canada took in over 50,000 from the former Yugoslavia fleeing the conflict. From 1975 and onward ten years, Canada received 120,000 Vietnamese from refugee camps all over southeast Asia.

In 2006 when conflict flared in Lebanon, Canada began sea and airlift for thousands of the 50,000 Canadian passport holders. We can move with purpose when we have to.

And right now we have to. Refugees move faster than governments. As we enter the weekend, decisions by governments in times of crisis can’t be kicked down the road for a few days later. Canada should be a refuge for the Ukrainian people who are feeling the conflict as it closes in on them on three sides.

Canada has the largest population of Ukrainians outside of the Ukraine. If there is any nation well equipped to receive citizens from there, it is Canada. Moreover, Manitoba has one of the largest concentrations of Ukrainians of any province. We also have the capacity insofar as jobs. Despite Covid 19 or rather because of it, we have shortages of workers in many areas because immigrants are the lifeblood of the economy. Canada has led G7 in population growth while maintaining low unemployment.

There are 150 Canadian military in Poland right now to assist refugees. Canada needs to do all it can to speed up the process so that there are not camps of suffering all over Europe. Manitoba should be at the forefront of that effort.

We can do more and we should do more. Sanctions or support for Ukrainians to fight back won’t help those who are displaced now. Manitoba could really assist people presently and benefit from offering safety and jobs to those in desperate need. Maybe Manitoba end the fear and despair and bring in thousands where they can live in peace in a society that welcomes them.