'We have to stop the suffering': Canada’s former minister of foreign affairs calls for more humanitarian aid in Ukraine
CTV
Canada’s former minister of foreign affairs is concerned there is not enough humanitarian aid for Ukraine and is pushing the federal government to expand support for those seeking refuge in Canada.
Canada’s former minister of foreign affairs is concerned there is not enough humanitarian aid for Ukraine and is pushing the federal government to expand support for those seeking refuge in Canada.
Lloyd Axworthy, who served as minister of foreign affairs during the Jean Chrétien administration, is currently the chair of the World Refugee and Migration Council (WRMC).
He said while there is a strong will amongst Canadians to give sanctuary to Ukrainian refugees, the most pressing need right now is to send direct resources to countries bordering Ukraine, like Poland and Moldova.
“They're taking the brunt of the work, and they are going to need an awful lot of help in terms of settlement and resources and food and all the rest of it,” Axworthy said in an interview on CTV Morning Live Winnipeg on Thursday.
The WRMC is pushing Canada’s federal government to extend commitments and support for Ukrainians seeking refuge in Canada.
The feds announced last week it is opening up two new immigration streams. One will allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians to come to this country temporarily with expedited emergency visas, and the other is a new family reunification pathway for those looking to stay permanently in Canada.
“There is an option, a choice to be made in terms of opening up a refugee program as opposed to a visa program. Those have to be done in cooperation with other countries,” Axworthy said.
