‘What will happen?’ Ukrainians in BC are concerned about the end of federal funding
Home is a word that evokes a sense of security and comfort, but for Ukrainians who have watched their homeland crumble in B.C., it evokes sharp pain.
Marko Zolotarov, a Ukrainian currently living in BC, told Global News, “This is done in many different ways, through various war crimes, missile attacks, drone attacks.”
Since 2022, more than one million Ukrainians have left their country for Canada, with more than 200,000 settling in B.C.
However, now that they know the funding has ended, they face more confusion.
“There is confusion and fear about what will happen to us,” Zolotarov said.
Get the latest National news
Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you as they happen, for news affecting Canada and around the world.
A federal grant that provides important programs and benefits to refugees will expire on March 31.
This means that programs that help Ukrainians learn English or train them for work will now be uncertain.
“They have hundreds or even 1,000s of displaced Ukrainians receiving services right now, but they know they won’t be able to get them for a few months,” says Sarosh Rizvi, executive director of AMSSA’s Multicultural Societies and Services Association. BC agencies
“There is currently no great plan for where to download these services.”
Zolotarov said that many Ukrainians still do not have enough points to apply for permanent residency.
“I think it’s a very significant gap,” he said.
Currently, there are more questions than answers about how to fill this gap.
“A lot of people are getting service right now, a lot of people are getting service right now and a ticking clock.” Rizvi said.
As they watch their old home heartbreakingly destroyed, Ukrainians wonder if they will ever be able to call Canada their new home.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
English