Yvan Baker, a member of the Canadian parliament, is actively promoting an initiative to create a special migration program to grant Ukrainian asylum seekers permanent resident status.
As Ukrinform's correspondent reports, Baker, the chair of the parliamentary friendship group with Ukraine in the Canadian parliament, statd this in an interview with Ukrinform.
"I have been leading advocacy efforts to encourage Canada to create a pathway to permanent residence for people who are already here on CUAET visas," Baker said.
He stressed that "Some of these Ukrainians have now been in Canada for almost four years. They are living here, contributing to our communities and economy." "But because most of them cannot obtain permanent residence through existing pathways, they cannot fully realize their potential. If you do not have permanent residence, you tend to plan for the short term. People may not upgrade their skills, start businesses, or make long-term investments. But if you know you have the opportunity to stay permanently, you are more likely to do those things," Baker said.
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