Integration of Ukrainian asylum seekers beneficial for Canada - Canadian MP

As Ukrinform's correspondent reports, Baker, the chair of the parliamentary friendship group with Ukraine in the Canadian parliament, statd this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"I have been leading advocacy efforts to encourage Canada to create a pathway to permanent residence for people who are already here on CUAET visas," Baker said.

He stressed that "Some of these Ukrainians have now been in Canada for almost four years. They are living here, contributing to our communities and economy." "But because most of them cannot obtain permanent residence through existing pathways, they cannot fully realize their potential. If you do not have permanent residence, you tend to plan for the short term. People may not upgrade their skills, start businesses, or make long-term investments. But if you know you have the opportunity to stay permanently, you are more likely to do those things," Baker said.

In his view, "this is a loss for Ukrainians who are here, but also for Canada ." "A pathway to permanent residence would help these Ukrainians improve their quality of life, support their families, and contribute more to Canada’s economy. In my view, these people are effectively here for the long term, but without long-term status," the Canadian MP noted.

He added that he has "met with the Minister of Immigration on this issue more than once, and I have discussed it with other people in government ." "I also introduced a petition in Parliament that collected almost 50,000 signatures from Canadians across the country supporting the creation of a pathway. There have not been changes to immigration policies yet, but I continue working on this because I believe it would benefit both Canada and the people affected," Baker concluded.

It should be recalled that the CUAET program was announced in early March 2022. It allowed all Ukrainians who wished to do so to obtain a temporary permit to work and live in Canada. Applications for the program closed two years ago, but during its operation about 300,000 Ukrainian asylum seekers arrived in Canada.