For a Ukrainian family in Winnipeg, living in Canada is a must.
Oleksandra and Roman Boris have been in the country for two and a half years, and are still waiting to find out if their family qualifies for the provincial nominee program.
The family came to Winnipeg from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and Oleksandra said it couldn't be more different.
“It's really unsafe there right now because Russia is shelling Ukraine every day,” he said. “Every single day. Every day someone dies (there), it's like a lottery — you never know if you're going to be next.
“You feel good with all these friendly people (in Winnipeg). You are respected and cared for by people.”
The family applied for the provincial designation program two years ago, but their application is still pending. Many of his friends, who applied at the same time, have been accepted.
The couple has two daughters, 9 and 18, and the youngest, Yuliana, has special needs and uses a wheelchair. Oleksandra said the education system in this country has been a revelation and is one of the main reasons she hopes to stay in Canada.
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“The most important thing is that she can get some education here in Canada, and she would never have made that choice in Ukraine,” he said.
Roman added that the family's roots here are so strong that they cannot leave, even if the war ends. She feels her daughter is more supported and accepted than back in Ukraine.
“When we came to Canada, I noticed that all the doors, you can open with a button. So if you're in a wheelchair, you can open any door. It's open to anyone who's in a wheelchair, “You don't have that in Ukraine,” said Roman.
A statement from Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino called the situation alarming, and said she had instructed her staff to consider long delays “that appear to be outside of standard processing times.” The province says it wants to process requests within months, but it often takes longer.
Cuts to the Provincial Designated Program A Winnipeg immigration lawyer says that could mean challenges for potential immigrants to Manitoba, as well as some labor markets.
“There is no easy solution,” Alastair Clarke of Clarke Immigration Law told Global Winnipeg.
“Within our work, what we do is try to manage people's expectations and try to deal with high levels of anxiety and depression. People are very frustrated.”
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