Asylum seeker hostels are already full
Shelters for asylum seekers crossing into Canada at Roxham Road are already almost full, and this before any influx of Ukrainian refugees.
I wonder whether most Ukrainians even want to come to North America, so far from their homes. Maybe some already have family here, which would be different, but most won’t have been planning to emigrate, not till Putin made his move. Won’t most of them want to at least stay in Europe?
Meezly 11:27 on 2022-03-05 Permalink
I knew this in a general sense, but had to fact check before posting. Canada has the largest Ukrainian diaspora after Russia due to the wave of immigrants at the turn of the 20th c. I’m afraid asylum seekers can’t be choosers but many may have some kind of family connection in North America, which would make the transition less difficult.
DeWolf 11:35 on 2022-03-05 Permalink
Canada has opened the front door to Ukrainian refugees so they would have no need to pass through Roxham Road.
If Canada suspended the safe third country agreement with the US, nobody else would need to use Roxham Road, either. But that didn’t happen when Trump was in power and it certainly won’t happen under Biden.
Kate 11:45 on 2022-03-05 Permalink
Has anyone yet written a mournful song about Roxham Road? Because I keep thinking it must exist.
Meezly, a lot of Ukrainians went to farm in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which I gather have terrain very like the expanse of Ukraine. The Journal has a piece today about the influx of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada from 1890 onwards.
There used to be more of a Ukrainian presence here in Montreal. My mother grew up in Point St Charles when a lot of Ukrainian families were living there, but later it seems the community mostly moved over to Rosemont. Chances are a lot of those folks have since moved to the suburbs or left Quebec.
Tim S. 18:44 on 2022-03-05 Permalink
Lots are still here, but scattered around the suburbs, like most 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation Canadians. Still a bit of a concentration in Rosemont, but the references I’ve seen to ‘Little Ukraine’ are trying a little too hard, imho.
Kate 11:37 on 2022-03-06 Permalink
Tim S., yes, that’s the pattern. Immigrants come here, work hard, maybe buy a duplex. Their kids sell the duplex and move to Laval or beyond.
Tim S. 13:06 on 2022-03-06 Permalink
Yes, in our case a small apartment building. Watching the video of the guy carrying the anti-tank mine put my grandfather’s casual attitude towards household maintenance, in particular electric work, into perspective. Let’s just say it didn’t do much for the resale value…