Ukrainian Community Delegation Meets

the Honourable Chris Alexander, MP

AJAX – September 17, 2013. Representatives of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) met in Toronto with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, the Honourable Chris Alexander, PC, MP to discuss issues of concern to the Ukrainian Canadian community.

The delegation consisted of Mr. Paul Grod, UCC National President, Mr. Evhen Duvalko, Co-Chair of the UCC Immigration Committee and Ludmila Kolesnichenko, Executive Director of CUIAS Immigrant Services.

At the outset of the discussion, President Grod highlighted a number of areas of importance to the Ukrainian Canadian community, including Canada-Ukraine relations, politically motivated and selective justice, support for Ukraine’s economic development, its civil society and in particular support for the signing of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement at the Eastern Partnership Summit taking place in Vilnius.

As well, Grod raised immigration related issues such as increasing the level of immigration from Ukraine, changing language requirements which are an impediment to many workers and immigrants from Ukraine, and easing visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals coming to Canada. Other items covered  included its position on the denaturalizatiion and deportation policy, family reunification, and the appropriate representation of the Holodomor and Canada’s First National Internment Operations at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

The Minister listened attentively to the positions of the UCC. He indicated that many of these issues are of personal interest to him.

PHOTO

L. to R.: Mr. Evhen Duvalko, Co-Chair of the UCC Immigration Committee, Ludmila Kolesnichenko, Executive Director of CUIAS Immigrant Services, the Honourable Chris Alexander, MP, Mr. Paul Grod, UCC National President