A plane carrying more than 160 Ukrainian refugees landed in St. John’s on Monday night. (Mark Quinn / CBC)
The first government-approved group of Ukrainian refugees seeking refuge in Newfoundland and Labrador has landed in St. John’s.
The flight landed at St. John’s International Airport near 7 pm NT after taking off from the Polish city of Katowice. A total of 166 refugees were on board, including 55 children, according to Prime Minister Andrew Fury, who welcomed them into the province after they landed.
The flight, hired by the provincial immigration department, is part of a rescue effort first launched by the provincial government in March, which set up a satellite office in Warsaw to help Ukrainians fleeing Russian attacks settle in the province. .
The office is working with arriving Ukrainians to arrange details such as obtaining passports, visas and transportation.
It is such an honor to officially welcome this group of Ukrainians to Newfoundland and Labrador and to Canada. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this happen. 🇨🇦🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/jPijyTjaNU
– @FureyAndrew
Immigration Minister Gary Byrne said Monday’s flight was the first government-hired plane to transport Ukrainian refugees to Canada, although thousands have already landed on Canadian soil since the Russian invasion in February.
Data from the Canadian Border Services Agency reveals more than 19,000 Ukrainians who have arrived in Canada so far this year as Ottawa struggles with the influx of asylum seekers. The federal government has approved more than 90,000 applications for temporary visas since mid-March.
In St. John’s, Fury and Byrne were part of the Newfoundland and Labrador welcoming party, along with local employers and non-profit groups such as the New Canadian Association.
The provincial immigration minister told CBC News earlier that some of the people on the flight had already found work and were starting their new jobs on Tuesday morning.
The crowd greets you with open arms
Fury called Monday a day of pride for the province, saying both residents and staff are ready to support incoming passengers as much as they can.
“This should be a safe haven,” Fury told CBC News at the airport just before the plane arrived.
“These are people who have lost their homes – many of their homes, as we saw on television, have been destroyed by missiles. They have nowhere to call and we want to provide them with a home.”
Left: St. Paul’s junior high school students Natalie Mitchell, Julia Lampe and Kate Rumboldt wanted to be at the airport to meet Ukrainians arriving in Newfoundland and Labrador. (Danny Arseno / CBC)
Fury said it was too early to say how many more flights carrying arriving Ukrainians could land in the province, but said there were between 600 and 700 people who had contacted the province’s Ukrainian information bureau waiting to enter.
He said they were also talking to Ottawa to help with new education and health care for newcomers, but added that it was more important that refugees be accommodated in Newfoundland and Labrador first.
The arrival area of ​​the airport was also filled with a hospitable crowd, eager to make the refugees feel at home in their new country.
Eighth-grader Julia Lampe held a poster created by students at St. Paul’s High School in St. John’s. She thought it was important to be there to let children and families from Ukraine know they were not alone in their journey.
“We want Ukrainians to know that there are people about what is happening and they are interested in what is happening. Not just watching it like any other old TV show,” Lampe said.
Wayne Holloway brought his big Ukrainian flag to greet the passengers.
“It is our duty to make sure that they feel welcome in Newfoundland. We do our best. It is up to us to make sure that they feel welcome and to hope that we can encourage them to stay.”
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
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