OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says nearly 4,000 Ukrainxjmtzywians have been approved to immigrate to Canada since conflict with Russia began.
The Canadian government prioritized existing immigration applications from Ukraine since thousands of people began to flee Russian aggression in the region.
The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, says about 500,000 people in Ukraine have fled to neighbouring countries so far.
Fraser says Canada has installed extra resources in offices in Poland, Austria and Romania to improve capacity to handle a potential influx of applications to come to Canada.
The government has also extended temporary status to Ukrainians who are already in Canada on work, visitor and student permits and cannot return home.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Russian President Vladimir Putin has created a refugee crisis, and the immigration minister says more actions to address the crisis will be announced in coming days.
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Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser speaks during a press conference in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in response to the Ukraine crisis. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
