The Newfoundland and Labrador government is opening an office in Poland to help Ukrainian refugees relocate to the province.
Premier Andrew Furey announced the plan today in St. John’s, saying the Warsaw office will work in tandem with the Canadian Embassy and be staffed by members of the provincial Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism who speak the languages in the region.
Provincial Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne joined Furey for the announcement and said the initiative is unique in Canada.
Byrne says there is a Ukrainian diaspora in Newfoundland and Labrador, with about 1,400 people in the province who identify as being of Ukrainian descent.
He says a team is already on the ground in Warsaw to gather information and figure out how the province can best serve Ukrainian refugees.
Furey and Byrne said the Warsaw office is an extension of the province’s Ukrainian Family Support Desk that was launched on March 2 to help residents bring loved ones in Ukraine to the province.
