Ottawa: Federal immigration officials warned the government that the special visa program for Ukrainians fleeing war could weaken the temporary immigration system. This program allowed unlimited Ukrainians and their families to come to Canada without promising to leave when their visas expired. Officials said this sets a bad example and might lead other groups to expect the same treatment.
These warnings were revealed in court documents related to a lawsuit by three Afghan Canadians. They claim Canada treated Afghan refugees unfairly compared to Ukrainians. These Afghan Canadians had helped NATO and the Canadian government during the Afghanistan war but couldn’t bring their families to safety in Canada.
The Ukrainian visa program has issued around 962,600 visas since the Russian invasion in 2022. Around 298,000 Ukrainians came to Canada, but it’s unclear how many stayed or applied for permanent residency. The documents also caution that the program might create “second class” permanent residents, without proper support and legal status.