More than 2,000 Ukrainian refugees in Saskatchewan, province says

With the arrival of another plane full of displaced Ukrainians Tuesday, the Saskatchewan government says more than 2,000 Ukrainians fleeing war have now arrived in the province.

Similar to what was organized by the Saskatchewan government following the first two humanitarian flights to land in Regina, a settlement centre was set up to help the refugees access necessities like bank accounts, health cards and SIN numbers.

This time around, the government’s “one-stop-shop” was set up at the the Wa Wa Shriners Wednesday to Friday to accommodate the approximately 200 Ukrainian citizens who arrived on the flight which was again arranged in coordination with Open Arms and Solidaire.

“We have a couple of methods of delivery. Because of COVID we have a lot of programs that are still offered online, so they’re able to log into the classes resume and then we also do have some in-person classes which are offered downtown. So it’s pretty central and they’re able to come to the classes downtown,” Iorga said.

She added that there is a lot of support from local employers and the community who have been reaching out to the organization offering help.

“So there’s been a lot of … welcoming with open arms and people trying to share those employment opportunities and things like that. So the transition’s been — for a lot of the people, I think — pretty smooth because of the community support and the employers that they’ve encountered.”

A dedicated government webpage has also been set up, providing guidance for employment, education, housing and other services.