UCC urges Ottawa to offer permanent residency to war-displaced Ukrainians

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) has endorsed Sen. Stan Kutcher’s initiative and formally appealed to Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lena Metlege Diab, urging Canada to grant permanent residency status to Ukrainians who fled Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

“The issue that the Government of Canada faces here, is, at its core — a moral one. Should we assist a group of people who have been displaced by a genocidal war and who have not only sought refuge here, but who have made Canada their home. The Minister can act should she choose to do so. We are hopeful that the Minister chooses to do so, and soon,” Senator Kutcher said at a news conference in Ottawa on Dec. 17.

Joining Sen. Kutcher were Gala Darkina, a Ukrainian newcomer with two children displaced to Canada by Russia’s war, who spoke about her experience having to leave her home in Ukraine and come to Canada; Father Taras Kinash, Priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ottawa and spiritual adviser to scores of displaced Ukrainians; Ihor Michalchyshyn, UCC CEO, and Oksana Zubriy, Adviser on Ukrainian Affairs in Sen. Kutcher’s office.

“In October 2025, the UCC asked the Government to establish a pathway to Permanent Residence in Canada for eligible Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) Visa Holders and their Families. Until their status is resolved, CUAET visa holders face a bleak and uncertain future. We call on the Government of Canada to take action today,” Michalchyshyn said.