‘What is going to happen?’ Ukrainians in B.C. concerned over federal funding ending
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Home is a word that evokes the feeling of safety and comfort but for Ukrainians in B.C. who are watching the destruction fo their homeland, it causes acute pain.
“It is implemented in so many different ways through different war crimes that happen, through missile attacks, drone attacks,” Ukrainian Marko Zolotarov, who now lives in B.C., told Global News.
Since 2022, more than one million Ukrainians have fled their country and come to Canada, with more than 200,000 settling in B.C.
However, they are now facing more turmoil as they have learned that funding is coming to an end.
“There’s a confusion and this fear of what is going to happen to us,” Zolotarov said.
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A federal grant that provides crucial programs and benefits to refugees will end on March 31.
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This means programs that help Ukrainians learn English or train them for jobs will now be in limbo.
“They have 100s if not 1,000s of displaced Ukrainians who are currently receiving services but they know they’re not going to be able to in just a couple months,” says Sarosh Rizvi, Executive Director of AMSSA, Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of B.C.
“There isn’t a great plan in place right now where to offload those services.”
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Zolotarov said that a lot of Ukrainians do not yet have enough points to apply to be permanent residents.
“I think that that’s a very significant gap,” he said.
Right now, there are more questions than answers about how to fill that gap.
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“A lot of people currently receiving services, a lot of people currently receiving services and a ticking clock.” Rizvi said.
Ukrainians, watching the heartbreaking destruction of their old home, wonder if they will ever be able to call Canada their new home.
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