New Travel Fund To Welcome Ukrainians
Government Partners With Three Organizations To Help 10,000 Refugees & Families Come To Canada
HALIFAX: The Government of Canada said it is resolute in its commitment to provide Ukrainians and their families with a safe haven while the unprovoked and illegal war continues in their home country. In a statement, the Government said: "We recognize that some Ukrainians may need support in their travel and we are calling on Canadians and Canadian businesses to continue our proud tradition of helping the world’s most vulnerable.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, has announced a new Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund, which will be launched in partnership with Miles4Migrants, The Shapiro Foundation and Air Canada and will build on our support for Ukrainians wishing to travel to Canada.
With immediate effect, Canadians and Canadian companies can donate Aeroplan points to the Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund through Air Canada or Miles4Migrants. For those who want to donate cash, the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto will be collecting donations on behalf of the Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund.
These partners are inviting Canadians to donate, with the goal of bringing at least 10,000 Ukrainians and their families on flights to Canada.
In addition to a significant donation of 100 million Aeroplan points by Air Canada, The Shapiro Foundation will match donations by Canadians, with a donation equivalent of up to 50 million Aeroplan points.
Canadians who would like to donate their Aeroplan points can do so through the Air Canada and Miles4Migrants websites. Canadians who would like to donate cash can do so through the Travel & Settlement Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, which will distribute these donations for the purposes of sponsoring displaced Ukrainians. Tax receipts will be issued for donations above $10.
The program will be open to Ukrainian nationals and their accompanying family members who hold valid Canadian travel documents and who have been approved for travel to Canada. Details on how eligible Ukrainians and their families can access the program will be made available in the coming weeks.
This partnership follows the recent measures announced by the Prime Minister of Canada, which include targeted charter flights to Canada for Ukrainian nationals, short-term income support to
ensure basic needs are met, and temporary hotel accommodation for up to 2 weeks for those who require support.
Sean Fraser said: “The outpouring of support from Canadians coast to coast who are stepping up to support Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s war has been remarkable. This new partnership with Miles4Migrants, The Shapiro Foundation and Air Canada is a testament to the Team Canada approach in supporting the world’s most vulnerable, and will help bring thousands of Ukrainians quickly and safely to Canada. We are grateful for their generous offers to help, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to support Ukrainians before and after they arrive in Canada.”
Edward Shapiro, Trustee, The Shapiro Foundation, said: “We are humbled to be able to play a part in assisting Ukrainian families who are being so warmly welcomed by Canadians. We know that access to flights is a critical need, and we are excited to partner with Air Canada, Miles4Migrants and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on this critically important project.”
Diane Padilla, Executive Director, Miles4Migrants, said: “Our vision at Miles4Migrants is a world where displaced persons of all backgrounds can find safety and community in new homes.
We are deeply honoured to join the Government of Canada, The Shapiro Foundation and Air Canada to help fly Ukrainians to safety in Canada.”
Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, added: “Together with our employees, we are ready and prepared to assist and support the Canadian government’s plans to bring Ukrainian people to Canada. With our 100 million Aeroplan points contribution, we offer our global network and the strength of our Star Alliance partnerships, which will contribute to enabling people to travel to Canada as quickly as possible.”
OTTAWA: Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations in response to the Russian regime’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.
These new measures impose restrictions on 14 close associates of the Russian regime, including Russian oligarchs and their family members. This includes President Putin’s two adult daughters.
The Moscow Mechanism report delivered by OSCE experts last week confirmed that the Russian forces are committing serious atrocities and human rights violations in Ukraine, including war crimes and likely crimes against humanity. Canada will also continue to implement further measures in response to the atrocities perpetrated by the Russian leadership, including a relentless pursuit of accountability.
Mélanie Joly said: “Canada continues to stand by the brave men and women fighting for their freedom in Ukraine. We will continue to impose severe costs on the Russian regime in coordination with our allies and will relentlessly pursue accountability for their actions. They will answer for their crimes.”
• Since Russia’s illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,200 individuals and entities.
• Canada has referred the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in concert with other ICC member states as a result of numerous allegations of serious international crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Ottawa: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Japan, the European Commission, the European Council, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to discuss collective efforts to date, assess the current situation on the ground in Ukraine, and discuss critical actions allies must undertake to effectively support Ukraine.
The leaders denounced Russia’s war crimes and brutality in Ukraine, and promised to hold Russia accountable for its actions.