ANDRII KUTSYK: Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Canada. How many of them have stayed and integrated into Canadian society, and how many have returned to Ukraine or moved to another countries?
VALERIA YAKUSHKO: According to the Government of Canada, about 298,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Canada under the CUAET (Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel) programme. Unfortunately, we do not have data on how many have already left the country. Currently, the results of only 1 survey conducted among Ukrainian refugees is publically available. The results of this survey offer crucial insights into the integration and plans for future of Ukrainian refugees in Canada. What is crucial to realize about the profile of Ukrainian refugees in Canada is that it differs from the profile of those who arrived in European countries. The data show that those who arrived in Canada predominantly have an intermediate level of English proficiency and are mostly between 26 and 40 years old. Moreover, these individuals mostly relied on their own skills and financial resources, as the program provided only one-time financial assistance. knowing this discrimination is crucial due to the fact that it reflects their human capital, which has a direct impact on their integration.
In the context of employment, data from 2024 show that 80 per cent of late arrived Ukrainians are employed. However, it is inactive hard to measure their career and whether they are working in the same manufacture and business as in Ukraine, as labour marketplace integration takes time. investigation I have conducted indicates that Ukrainian refugees in south-western Ontario are integrating rather successfully – they have jobs, safe housing, and established social networks. However, they do face challenges, the most crucial of which is obtaining permanent residency. Around 92 per cent of those who arrived express a desire to apply for permanent residency and consequently stay in Canada permanently. Ukrainian refugees are not legally recognized as refugees or asylum seekers in Canada. Instead, they hold temporary resident position under the CUAET programme, meaning they must get permanent residency through economical pathway or household reunification. This represents 1 of the biggest challenges facing recently arrived Ukrainians in Canada. As the war and, consequently, insecurity in Ukraine continue, Ukrainian diaspora organizations – peculiarly the Ukrainian planet legislature – are calling for pathways to permanent residency for Ukrainian refugees.
What level of English proficiency did most Ukrainian newcomers have upon arrival in Canada, and how did their language skills affect their employment prospects?
Most Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Canada already had an intermediate level of English. My investigation shows that this level of language proficiency level was adequate for everyday communication and securing employment. However, many reported lacking Business English, – that is, the specialized language skills and vocabulary required for their occupations. However, they were able to improve their skills, as Ukrainian refugees were granted free access to settlement services that supply free English language training. Existing data and investigation show that language skills and proficiency in English or French (in French-speaking provinces) are crucial for the successful integration of immigrants in Canada.
Are there any peculiar programmes for the integration of Ukrainian refugees at the national government level in Canada or at the provincial level, peculiarly in the state of Ontario?
In general, at the national level, Ukrainians were granted free access to settlement services until March 2025. They were eligible to attend workshops and training sessions designed to aid them improve their language skills, find employment, and gain cultural cognition about Canada. Various programs besides existed at the provincial level. For example, Western University in Ontario offered a program for Ukrainian female refugees, providing them with paid internships at the university. Participants attended English language courses in the morning and worked in the dining hall in the afternoon. This program was peculiarly valuable due to the fact that it combined part-time employment with language learning. As a result, many participants were able to proceed working even after completing their English courses. Overall, they reported crucial benefits, including improved language skills, experience in a multicultural workplace, and Canadian work experience.
In Europe, peculiarly in Poland, Ukrainian refugees have received and proceed to receive financial aid. What is the situation with social aid for Ukrainians in Canada?
Under the CUAET program, Ukrainian refugees were eligible for a one-time financial support of 3,000 Canadian dollars (2,580 euros) per adult and 1,500 per child. Currently, Ukrainians do not receive any financial support from the government. It is worth mentioning that the deficiency of financial aid attracted a very different profile of Ukrainian refugees to Canada compared with Europe. These are individuals who, upon arrival in Canada, had to trust on their own skills, and financial resources.
Under the influence of the spread of far-right populism in the US, Europe, and peculiarly in Poland, anti-immigrant and, in particular, anti-Ukrainian narratives and trends are increasing in popularity. Is this besides happening in Canada?
It is crucial to emphasize that Canada has historically been an immigrant-receiving country. However, fresh data show that more than half of Canadians (58 per cent) believe the country accepts besides many immigrants – the highest proportion reporting this sentiment since 1998. This concern is primarily driven by the state of the economy, the housing crisis, and perceptions of how the immigration strategy is managed. It is crucial to item that these data show that Canadians are primarily afraid with an ineffective immigration system, not with the immigrants themselves. Despite these challenges and the global shift toward far-right populism, Canada remains a welcoming country for immigrants. This is evidenced by survey results showing that Canadians are more likely to say immigration makes their local communities better (32 per cent) alternatively than worse (14 per cent).
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Have you noticed any cases in the Canadian media where issues related to Ukrainian migrants were presented in a manipulative context – 1 that partially echoes Russian disinformation narratives?
I have not encountered specified narratives in the media, nor have I seen studies suggesting that specified narratives are spreading across Canada. There are 2 main reasons for this. First, it is hard to accuse Ukrainian refugees of not working and relying solely on welfare – the basis of anti-Ukrainian narratives in European countries – due to the fact that they do not receive social assistance in Canada, and, as noted earlier, most are employed. Second, Canada has the largest Ukrainian diaspora, with well-established and influential organizations that consistently work to item the situation in Ukraine within Canadian media and public discourse.
Do you think there is simply a hazard that the level of support for Ukraine from Canada will decrease – even to the level we are presently seeing in the US?
I believe that even if there are changes in the level and amount of aid, specified changes would not indicate that Canada lacks support for Ukraine. Currently, Canada faces respective critical challenges, both domestically and in its relations with the United States, which could become priorities for the government. However, I believe there is no evidence to propose that Canada’s support for Ukraine will decrease. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Canada remains actively engaged in supporting Ukraine through the defence manufacture and humanitarian assistance.
Is there a threat that populism will spread in Canada and that anti-immigration sentiments may arise here over time, akin to those observed in the US and any European countries?
As I mentioned earlier, we are indeed seeing a emergence in concerns regarding how immigration is being managed in Canada. However, I believe that whether these concerns proceed to grow or decline will depend on how pressing challenges, specified as the housing crisis, are addressed by the Canadian government.
Historically, immigration has played a crucial function in Canada in addressing labour demands and supporting population growth. Like many Western countries, Canada faces an aging population and low birth rates, meaning natural population growth is limited. Migration is so essential to sustain and increase the population. However, as Canada has late started to limit migration, it has begun facing the consequences: fresh data show that between October 2024 and July 2025, the Canadian population declined for the first time since the pandemic due to these limits on migration. Furthermore, Canada has long relied heavy on migrant workers to meet its labour needs. A fresh study by Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada shows that immigrants make a crucial contribution to the supply of highly skilled workers in Canada and besides advance entrepreneurship in the country.
Andrii Kutsyk holds a PhD in doctrine of Media (Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University/Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań) and a Master’s Degree in east European Studies (University of Warsaw). He is presently a investigation Fellow at the Institute of Political discipline at the University of Gdańsk, a associate of the investigation Institute for European Policy, and secretary of the European diary of Transformation Studies. In 2024, he besides received the Ivan Vyhovsky Prize.
Valeria Yakushko is simply a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Western Ontario. She holds an MA in Sociology from the University of Western Ontario and a BA in Sociology from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. In 2023, she was a investigation Fellow at the Osteuropa Forum Basel at the University of Basel (Switzerland). Her current investigation focuses on Ukrainian exile crisis, global and forced migration.
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