Relief for families reunited in B.C. after fleeing Ukraine

A growing number of Ukrainians who have escaped Russia’s deadly invasion are finding themselves in Canada with loved ones.

Irina Kurilyak’s mother arrived in Canada last week after a long journey getting out of Ukraine, which included a 13-hour drive through the country on top of a 13-hour train ride to Poland.

“My mom said like ‘sardines in a jar,’ you know, like everyone was there. It was not enough air. One man had to even leave the train because of suffocating,” Kurilyak told CityNews.

“Thanks god the Ukrainian and Polish language are quite similar, we can understand each other and communicate somehow, so they guided her.”

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Kurilyak was born and raised in Kviv, Ukraine, but moved to Canada almost 20 years ago. While her mom, who is in her 70s and in poor health, is happy to be safe in South Surrey, both women are worried about family members still in the war torn country.

“While they’re sleeping, we’re praying here and trying to help somehow. When they waking up, we’re going to bed but we’re not going to bed until we call and text and find out that they’re actually alive,” she said.

“Underlying stress is still there, the pressure is still there…all the people there left behind, the whole nation, the future,” she said.

Kurilyak’s brother would have left as well, except he has since joined the armed forces. Worrying about his safety has been all consuming.

“Never ever have I experienced stress at this level, it’s like one horrific day stretch into many, many, many days,” she said.

Her mother had permission to enter Canada as the family had been planning on a visit before the invasion and had already secured a visitor visa.

Dmytro Ruksha was also born and raised in Ukraine but moved to Port Coquitlam eight years ago.

A photo of Dmytro Ruksha and his father after they were reunited in Canada following the Russian invasion. The family is hopeful Canada’s new immigration programs will allow them to stay together until it is safe to return to Ukraine. Courtesy: Dmytro Ruksha.

His father has also managed to flee Russia’s invasion and find safety in Canada, thanks to a visitor visa he was previously approved for.

“He’s here sooner than expected,” he said. “He managed to get a ticket to Bulgaria. After more than 24 hours of travel he crossed a couple of borders and arrived to Bulgaria.”

Once in Bulgaria, Ruksha says he appealed for the help of an acquaintance to host his father for several days until he could get to Canada.

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“I’m pretty sure he is stuck here for at least six months, so I will be hoping that …the immigration programs… that Canada announced will help us to keep him here,” Ruksha said, adding his mother recently died of COVID-19. “He has nowhere else to go.”

While relieved to be in Canada, Ruksha’s dad broke into tears when asked about what it was like to see the images coming out of his home country. Both men are worried about the war and how it may end.

“Obviously I have a lot of friends who are staying [in Ukraine]. Some of my friends who had families, left,” he said. “Some of them want to settle their families and just go back to either help refugees or help to do something and some are even going to fight.”

Canada’s refugee policies still questioned

According to the U.N. more than 2 million people have fled Ukraine and that number continues to rapidly grow.

While Canada has agreed to fast-track the immigration process for Ukrainians, and reunification of families under two new programs, neither are up and running yet and there are still many barriers preventing refugees from qualifying to come to Canada.

Ruksha adds many of his friends cannot get out of Ukraine, not because they don’t have the financial means, but because Canada has not lifted its travel visa requirement. He wants to see the same open-arm policy he believes Canada used for those fleeing Syria.

“Even if people are not strong economically, Canada should accept thousands of Ukrainians just to resettle. Even if it’s [those] 70 plus years person like my father, it is just what Canada has to do,” he said.