350 Ukrainian refugees arrive in Winnipeg on Monday | War in Ukraine

Pavlo and Natalie Lepadev, from Kharkiv, eagerly awaited the arrival of the Ukrainian flag, Pavlo’s mother and sister.

As soon as the plane landed the young couple got emotional and got a phone call: their loved ones wanted to say that they had finally arrived and that they were safe.

Pavlov’s sister lived near Kiev when Russia invaded the country. It took him so long to cross the border that the area was surrounded by Russian troops for more than a month. The mother and daughter went to Poland, where they waited for visas.

Natalie’s mother, sister and daughter – in – law came to Winnipeg a month ago. Her sister’s husband was in Ukraine.

Pavlo and Natalie Lepadev have lost their appetite and sleep since the beginning of this war, listening to the news and eagerly awaiting news from their family and friends.

But while their newly arrived family members are greeted with familiar faces, many other refugees come here without anyone knowing.

However, they will be greeted by volunteers who often come from Ukraine and will be able to greet them in their own language and guide them through the various services provided to them at the reception kiosk at the airport. Manitoba Center for Ukrainian RefugeesNearby.

A unique model in the country

Winnipeg was chosen as one of the first three cities to receive refugees arriving on charter flights from Canada because of how well the reception model works, says Nick Krovets, a volunteer Canadian Ukrainian from the Manitoban Congress.

He explains that this is a unique model in Canada, so we are ready to welcome them. Since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about charter flights on April 9, we have been waiting a long time for this moment.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stephenson was to welcome Ukrainian refugees at Winnipeg Airport on Monday.

Photo: Radio-Canada

Manitoba Premier Heather Stephenson, who wanted to welcome refugees from the country’s first charter flight, recalled it. The Provincial Working Group has worked hard to ensure that all services are available to these families in Manitoba.

We will continue to work to ensure that these refugees receive the support they need.Said.

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Christiaan Freeland arrived at Winnipeg’s James Richardson International Airport on Monday afternoon.

Christiaan Freeland acknowledged that welcoming refugees poses challenges, but does not rule out the possibility of the federal government arranging more charter flights.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Christiaan Freeland, arrived at Winnipeg Airport shortly before the charter flight. Here’s a look at how a stuffed animal is delivered to a child who has entered Canada.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Karen Falls

He greeted many volunteers dressed in the colors of Ukraine.

Welcome ready

Upon landing, the country will be divided into groups of 30 by representatives of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), along with 16 Manitoba volunteers from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

There will be 24 volunteers around the airport.

The Winnipeg Airport Authority (AAW) works best with us in terms of communication and logisticsSays volunteer Darya Omilchenko.

We have many volunteers with family in Ukraine, so all of these are very important to usShe continues.

” On the one hand, I’m glad we came here to help the Ukrainians, but I’m also sad that they were forced to leave their country. ⁇

After the first phase of the reception, each group of 30 people will leave the International Arrivals Division and walk to the buses, which will take them directly to the Manitoba Reception Center for Ukrainian Refugees.

This is a place where families can be reunited if needed.

Manitoba Ukrainian Canadian Congress volunteer Nick Krovets assists with supplies to welcome Ukrainian refugees to Manitoba.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Trevor Brain

” They will immediately access many support services with the respect of the Ukrainian community of the province and the Government of Manitoba. ⁇

Home challenge

These 350 refugees have been added to the 400 refugees already in the area since the start of the Russian invasion in February.

Some of the newcomers are expected by friends and family, while others do not have a network in Manitoba. For this purpose, the province has established a partnership with the organization New Travel HousingIt will try, among other things, to provide Ukrainian citizens with apartments in Winnipeg.

The provincial government has previously announced $ 800,000 in direct humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees since the war began.

UN According to the refugee organization, nearly six million Ukrainians have fled their country since the start of the Russian invasion.

The other two planes will soon land in Canada, the first on May 29 in Montreal and the second on June 2 in Halifax.

With information from Loisa Pamo and Karen Pauls