44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 28, 2022 11:00AM
- Feb/28/22 2:21:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we agree with the minister wholeheartedly. We think there are more things we can do to help Ukrainian people. Ukrainians are fleeing their country and they are looking for a safe place, but we know they do not want to be permanent refugees. They want to be able to live in a safe, peaceful and sovereign Ukraine.
Canadians and Canada can be a safe haven for them. We have the opportunity right now to host Ukrainians who are being displaced by the Putin invasion. One of the things that we could do is allow visa-free travel for Ukrainians coming to Canada. Will the government commit today to remove the requirements for visas for Ukrainians coming to Canada?
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- Feb/28/22 2:29:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, more than half a million refugees have left Ukraine in the wake of the brutal invasion launched by Vladimir Putin. They are travelling in crowded trains, by car, and sometimes on foot, carrying hastily packed luggage, especially women and children. These people are seeking refuge while Putin is bombing their homes.
The Liberals have turned their backs on refugees in the past and recently. The Ukrainian people need our help. Will the Prime Minister reduce red tape, suspend visa requirements and welcome Ukrainians who have been forced to leave their country because of Vladimir Putin's attack?
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- Feb/28/22 2:30:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question. I am very pleased that the House has reached a unanimous agreement today and that all parties, including the Conservative Party, the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and obviously our government, support Ukraine and the courageous people of Ukraine. It is important, and I am proud of us.
As far as Ukrainian refugees are concerned, we are there for them. We have already done a lot, and we will continue to do more. They need our help, and they will get it.
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- Feb/28/22 2:31:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member opposite that the world is watching in horror at what is happening in Ukraine, but I am also watching in pride at the incredibly brave resistance of the people of Ukraine.
It is important for us to say that we continue to support them in their fight. When it comes to refugees, of course Canada is there for Ukrainians. We have been and we will be, and we will have more to say soon.
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- Feb/28/22 3:09:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week I met with Ilya and Liudmyla in my constituency office. They will soon be Canadian citizens and are excited to begin the next chapter of their lives. However, Liudmyla also told me that she is worried about her mom and her family, who are living in bomb shelters. In Ukraine, others are in long lines of refugees at the Polish border. Over 115,000 refugees are heading for safety in Poland. Thousands are also going to Romania and any EU country offering sanctuary. However, resources are being stretched to the brink.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs inform the House if Canada will provide assistance to countries opening their borders to the Ukrainian exodus?
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- Feb/28/22 3:11:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I think that if you seek it you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:
That this House reiterate the motion adopted unanimously on January 27, 2021 and call upon the new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, to, in the case of Raif Badawi, exercise his discretion under Section 5 of the Citizenship Act which authorizes him to grant citizenship to any person to alleviate cases of special and unusual hardship.
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- Feb/28/22 6:38:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome the general convergence of ideas in the House in the face of shared adversity. This has not happened often. I understand that the government is working with major international organizations like the G7 and NATO, among others. This is what the Bloc Québécois and likely many others were hoping to see, and it was definitely the only way forward.
However, certain decisions still need to be made domestically, such as continuing to require visas for people to come to Canada from Ukraine.
I hope my colleagues will not mind the comparison, but not all that long ago, people were crossing at Roxham Road without a visa. People were doing it, and perhaps they still are. Should we not show the same leniency to people who want to reunite with their families or come to Canada as refugees?
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- Feb/28/22 7:05:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think we are all feeling the same way. We want to be able to help Ukrainians who are fleeing.
As I said in my speech, I do not think Ukrainian people want to be permanent refugees anywhere. They want to be able to live in their home nation of Ukraine, a free, sovereign, peaceful nation. However, in the meantime, Canada could be a safe haven. Our suggestion is that we ask the government to remove the visa requirement.
We all saw what happened when Afghanistan came under attack. We were not able to bring people to Canada and protect them in the way that was expected of a nation like Canada. What we are trying to say to the government is let us get rid of the red tape right now so that we can immediately try to help people who want to come to Canada to be protected until peace is restored in their home nation.
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- Feb/28/22 8:42:13 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I think it would be appropriate to thank Poland and all the neighbouring countries around Ukraine for taking in so many refugees. We certainly have to make it easy for Ukrainians who are seeking a temporary or permanent solution to come to Canada. I am certainly open to any suggestions that would make it easier for Ukrainians to come to Canada.
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- Feb/28/22 9:12:27 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, that is actually a major and recurring problem at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. The government wanted to bring 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada, but it barely managed to bring 5,000 to 6,000. We have just learned that the Taliban has decided that no one else will be leaving Afghanistan. It is impossible.
It will now take resources and, above all, a sense of urgency. Everyone in the House of Commons has this sense of urgency. Therefore, I am asking the government to instill this sense of urgency in the public service so that everyone will work more quickly and react like the people in Europe are doing in wartime. Our contribution to the war effort is to help as many as people as possible by picking up the pace.
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- Feb/28/22 11:45:15 p.m.
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Madam Chair, peace is more of a process in many ways than it is a goal. We must continuously protect and safeguard the principles that make our society truly free and democratic. We have to ensure that we can protect those who are most vulnerable and ensure that our country and our society are protected and safeguarded against true evil tyrants and oligarchs like the ones we see with Putin and his gang of thugs.
We have a lot more work to do and in terms of the work that has to happen at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, I know that the member for Vancouver East and I will work as hard as we can to ensure that those fleeing conflict get to safety.
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