Key takeaways:
- One hundred sixty-six refugees will come from Poland Monday.
- An airplane bringing over 160 Ukrainian refugees landed in St. John’s Monday evening.
The first government-chartered group of Ukrainian refugees striving for shelter in Newfoundland and Labrador landed in St. John’s.
The plane touched down at St. John’s International Airport around 7 p.m. NT after taking off from the Polish city of Katowice. According to Premier Andrew Furey, a capacity of 166 refugees were on board, including 55 kids, who received them to the region after their landing.
The flight, chartered by the region’s Immigration Department, is part of rescue measures first launched by the local government in March, which launched a satellite office in Warsaw to help Ukrainians escaping Russian invasions relocate to the area.
The office worked with the incoming Ukrainians to sort out points like getting passports, visas, and transportation.
Once they cleared customs — and were greeted by cheering residents — the arriving Ukrainians stated they were grateful to be in Newfoundland and Labrador after a long trip.
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“I’m glad!” Stan, a Ukrainian traveler, shouted to journalists, adding he even had a position lined up at a mine in Baie Verte.
“I dreamed of arriving in Canada for years, and I got a job on my first day. It’s simply perfect; the provincial government helped me so much…. It’s just great.”
Stan said he is still anxious about his family back home — especially his dad, who is presently concerned about the war — but is grateful for the future opportunities in Newfoundland.
“At the point when the war started, I was in Europe. But I … worry about my dad…. He told me, ‘As I’m in this battle, you have your opportunity for your future,” he said.
“We pray [to] control it, and all Ukrainians relish the help from worldwide. We feel it so much.”
Source – cbc.ca
