Canadian troops being deployed to Poland on humanitarian mission
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are going to be deployed to Poland on a humanitarian mission to help Ukrainian refugees who’ve fled the Russian invasion.
Throughout an announcement at Canadian Forces Base Trenton on Thursday morning, Defence Minister Anita Anand stated the mission will assist “to make sure Ukrainians fleeing the battle obtain the most effective help doable.”
“Our Canadian Armed Forces will proceed to step up and supply a secure haven and to welcome with open arms the individuals of Ukraine,” she stated.
WATCH: Canadian Armed Forces to be deployed to Poland:
Defence Minister Anita Anand introduced Canadian Armed Forces members can be deployed to Poland to help Ukrainian refugees. 2:14
Anand has licensed as much as 150 troops to affix the mission, however solely about 100 can be deployed in the meanwhile. They will help with the processing of refugees, in addition to present medical help providers.
A majority of the troops will come from Edmonton and Kingston, Ont., and can be deployed from CFB Trenton within the coming days, Anand stated.
The mission is in response to a request from the Polish authorities because it makes an attempt to grapple with a big inflow of Ukrainians fleeing the battle, and is being carried out as half NATO’s Operation Reassurance, a army deterrence mission in jap Europe.
Greater than 4.7 million Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring international locations since Russia’s invasion started in February. Of these, greater than half — practically 2.7 million — have fled to Poland.
Krakow, the nation’s second-largest metropolis at 800,000 residents, has reworked inside weeks to a metropolis of practically 1,000,000 after the arrival of some 150,000 displaced Ukrainians.
CAF members had been in Poland final week analyzing the potential for deploying troops there to help with the refugee disaster.
Former Joint Activity Power 2 Commander Steve Day instructed CBC Information Community that whereas he is glad to see troops heading abroad to assist with the humanitarian disaster, he believes the federal government ought to have acted sooner.
“If we’re going over to assist in that humanitarian house, I am undecided why it is taken us six weeks to mobilize,” Day instructed host Aarti Pole.
Jasraj Singh Hallan, the Conservative shadow minister for immigration, responded to information of the deployment by repeating his celebration’s name to drop visa necessities for Ukrainians.
“Canada shouldn’t have waited till day 50 of the battle in Ukraine to convey extra sources to jap Europe to assist our Ukrainian family and friends fleeing the battle,” Hallan stated in a media assertion.
The federal government launched a particular immigration program final month that may permit Ukrainian refugees to dwell and work in Canada for as much as three years, promising to absorb an “limitless” variety of refugees fleeing Russia’s battle.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser instructed the Canadian Press that 41,000 individuals have been accepted by this system.
They’ve been arriving on the Toronto and Edmonton worldwide airports since April 1, and in Vancouver since April 8.
Fraser stated a lot of the candidates at the moment are in Warsaw or Berlin and lots of could settle in Canada quickly whereas they’ve entry to providers like language coaching, baby care and assist discovering a job.
Extra army support promised in price range
The federal price range tabled final week dedicated an extra $500 million in army support to Ukraine.
Anand stated Thursday {that a} portion of that support will come from Canada’s present stock whereas one other portion will must be procured.
“We’re actively engaged with numerous suppliers relating to extra procurements,” Anand stated, noting that she expects to have extra particulars “quickly.”
