Immigration to Canada: quota provides little for Ukrainians (02/22/98)

Immigration to Canada: quota provides little for Ukrainians

by Bohdan Mykytiuk

For over years immigration of Ukrainians to Canada was almost impossible due to the restrictive Soviet regime. Now that Ukraine is free, we discover that it is the Canadian government that is responsible for limiting such emigration. Recent internal Immigration Department documents indicate that there is in fact a quota system for visa offices and that Ukrainians are near the bottom of the targeted groups.

Though Ukrainian citizens may apply through Canadian missions other than in Ukraine, which would result in higher numbers of Ukrainians emigrating to Canada, the 750 quota is still an indication of where our influence and standing are with Canadian authorities. Politicians keep telling us that they recognize the valuable contribution Ukrainians have made to Canada, but the discrimination continues.

A major cause of the current problem is due to the downsizing of the immigration staff at the Kyiv Embassy. As a result, that office cannot handle a larger number of applications and processing time of applications may take up to two years. We should press for an increase in staffing at this office.

Assimilation within Canada continues as indicated by recently released language statistics. This process can only be reversed by a larger inflow of immigrants. We should be outraged that a group of bureaucrats in Ottawa is able to dictate such a low quota without consultation with the Ukrainian Canadian community. It is high time for the leaders of our community organizations to seriously confront the problems facing our community within Canada.

We urge readers to contact their local members of Parliament to voice their concerns and to write to the prime minister to correct this inequity.

Bohdan Mykytiuk is president of the Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society. This article is reprinted from the CUIAS Newsletter.

1997 target number of applications that will be processed in visa offices:

1 United States 22,000

2 India 10,500

3 Hong Kong 9,500

4 Philippines 7,000

5 England 6,500

6 Singapore 6,000

7 China 4,000

8 Syria 3,000

9 Sri Lanka 3,000

10 France 2,150

11 Pakistan 2,100

12 Trinidad 2,000

13 Germany 1,600

14 Yugoslavia 1,500

15 Jamaica 1,500

16 Russia 1,450

17 Kenya 1,200

18 South Africa 1,000

19 Austria 1,000

20 Australia 1,000

21 Poland 950

22 Bulgaria 900

23 Egypt 800

24 Ukraine 750

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1	United States	22,000
2	India	10,500
3	Hong Kong	9,500
4	Philippines	7,000
5	England	6,500
6	Singapore	6,000
7	China	4,000
8	Syria	3,000
9	Sri Lanka	3,000
10	France	2,150
11	Pakistan	2,100
12	Trinidad	2,000
13	Germany	1,600
14	Yugoslavia	1,500
15	Jamaica	1,500
16	Russia	1,450
17	Kenya	1,200
18	South Africa	1,000
19	Austria	1,000
20	Australia	1,000
21	Poland	950
22	Bulgaria	900
23	Egypt	800
24	Ukraine	750