Westman Immigrant Services prepared for Ukrainian refugees

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This article was published 11/05/2022 (1590 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A flight carrying 300 Ukrainian refugees to Winnipeg from Warsaw, Poland, will arrive on May 23, the federal government announced Wednesday.

The refugees’ arrival was announced by Premier Heather Stefanson on Tuesday, but no date had been set.

Westman Immigrant Services said it is ready to welcome any refugees that settle in the area, but the organization is still waiting for information on who will be arriving on the flight and where they will be sent.

Ukraine has been fending off a military invasion by Russian forces since Feb. 24, when soldiers crossed into the country through Belarus from the north, Crimea from the south and the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk in the southeast.

That plane will be the first of three heading from Poland to Canada, with further flights arriving in Montreal on May 29 and in Halifax on June 2.

In a media release, federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser said spaces on the flights are being made available to people approved through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel program on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once arrived, the refugees who have not made arrangements will be provided with 14 days of accommodations.

As was announced Tuesday, the refugees arriving in Manitoba will be transported to the province’s Ukrainian Refugee Reception Centre to co-ordinate the settlement process. The province reports that more than 340 people from Ukraine have been through the centre thus far.

Speaking to the Sun on Wednesday, Westman Immigrant Services community outreach manager Hannah Holt said she believes some of those refugees will end up in Westman. However, the organization is still waiting to receive information on who will be arriving and where they’ll be sent.

“We’re always ready to receive any newcomers: Ukrainian, Syrian, Afghanistan, anybody,” she said.

“With that flight in particular and the announcement today, it’s going to be on a first-come, first-served basis, so anyone who’s approved for the queue at visa will get contacted by [Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada] with information on how to register. I don’t think communication has even started yet, so we don’t even know where they’re planning on going. But as soon as we start filling those seats and if they’re going to be coming to Brandon or any one of our regional locations, we’re ready.”

To date, Holt said there are records of WIS assisting approximately eight families from Ukraine to settle across Westman with paperwork for a few more still being processed.

If and when more refugees are settled in Westman, Holt said WIS and its partners at organizations like Tryzub have their arms wide open to welcome them.

Should any assistance or resources be needed for incoming refugees, WIS will let locals know through its social media pages.

Tryzub, which is Brandon’s local Ukrainian-Canadian organization, announced through its Facebook group on Wednesday that a solidarity rally for Ukraine will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at Brandon City Hall.

Participants are encouraged to wear vyshyvanka (Ukrainian embroidered shirts) and bring blue and yellow accessories.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @ColinSlark