Flight filled with Ukrainian refugees coming to Sask. next month

More Ukrainians are about to call Saskatchewan home.

The province has organized a flight to bring Ukrainian refugees here.

“We have been working directly with the Ukrainian embassy,” Saskatchewan Immigration Minister Jeremy Harrison explained Tuesday.

“Premier (Scott) Moe went to Ottawa a couple of weeks ago to meet with the new ambassador to Ukraine for Canada to talk about how Saskatchewan could be as helpful and supportive as we possibly could … There is going to be a charter flight directly to Saskatchewan from Poland and that wouldn’t have happened but for that direct engagement with the Ukrainian embassy.”

The flight is expected to bring about 230 people. It’s scheduled to land in Regina sometime the week of July 4.

The flight itself is being donated by an aviation company in Switzerland, but a full cost isn’t yet known.

Harrison maintains the government has been preparing to receive large numbers of refugees for a while.

“We have put in place mechanisms to ensure that driver’s licences can be obtained, health cards can be issued, all the things that go along with literally relocating your life from one country to another, which is beyond daunting before the fact that you even consider they are fleeing some very traumatic and difficult circumstances back home,” Harrison explained.

“We want to be as helpful and supportive as we possibly can in providing a safe and successful settlement here in Saskatchewan. We are hopeful that folks are able to relocate here in the long term and not just for the duration of the war. We want to make sure they have all the tools that they need to be successful here.”

Saskatchewan had hoped to see Ukrainians arrive directly in the province sooner but a flight destined for the province was diverted for unknown reasons.

“We were actually told by the federal government that one of the three evacuation flights that they were organizing was going to come to Saskatchewan. That flight was redirected to Montreal at the very last minute (and) we were never given an explanation by the Government of Canada as to why,” Harrison said.

“It was very, very frustrating. That really was the catalyst for us directly engaging with the Government of Ukraine so that we could find a way to get Ukrainian refugees to directly relocate to Saskatchewan rather than through another country or city. A lot of them on that flight to Montreal ended up coming to Saskatchewan afterwards through their own means.”

At this point, it isn’t clear where the 230 will go in Saskatchewan after they arrive.

“We are going to be working very closely with our settlement organizations and our partners in all of this, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and Government of Saskatchewan officials, so that each individual will have a solution and a plan that makes sense for them. And that will all be a little bit different for each one,” Harrison said.

“There might be some refugees that have family and they wish to go to that community or some may have an employment opportunity already lined up which may facilitate or direct where they may go. And we will be working with these individuals closely to ensure all of the elements of a successful transition, that meaning housing in the short, medium (and) long term, that meaning employment opportunities, that meaning training.

“All of those options are fully explored so that these refugees are going to be fully successful as they possibly can when they arrive.”

There will be officials from Saskatchewan on the ground in Poland ahead of the plane leaving to ensure the refugees are prepared and the work to transition them can begin before they even arrive.

Since Russia attacked Ukraine, Saskatchewan has taken a number of steps to support those fleeing and considering coming to Canada and Saskatchewan.

Along with being able to immediately swap their valid driver’s licence for a Saskatchewan one, there is a helpline for those needing help and services as they settle in.

As well, the government committed $335,000 for settlement costs for those fleeing the war in their home country.

It’s hoped there will be more flights to Saskatchewan like this in the future.

— With files from The Canadian Press