Woman fearing for family in Ukraine urges Canada to waive visa for those fleeing war

Narina Jabarihas watched the Russian invasion of Ukraine with a growing sense of panic, coupled withfrustration that Canada isn't doing more to help those trying to flee the war reachsafety.

For her, it hits home. The 30-year-old was born in Kyiv and hasbeen working to bring her aunt, uncle and cousin from Ukraine to Burlington, Ont.

But Jabari said bureaucratic red tape and the federal government's decision not to allow visa-free travel have left many trying to escapeessentially stranded.

Those in Canada who are trying to help Ukrainiansare feeling trapped too, said Jabari.

"Right before bed, I check:'OK, are cities still standing?'" she said.

When she wakes up, she checks again.

"It's always this panic, fear and suffocation."

On Tuesday, Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv while thousands of civilians fled Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor in what was believed to be the biggest evacuation yet from the desperately besieged seaport. On the diplomatic front, another round of talks began between Russia and Ukraine.

Also on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Canada for its support in his address to the House of Commons, but said much more needs to be done, including additional sanctions and a no-fly zone.

On March 3, CanadianImmigration Minister Sean Fraserannounced plans to welcome an "unlimited number" of people to leave their war-torn country for Canada.

Part of that influx will come through an "expedited path" to permanent residency for Ukrainians with family in Canada.

The government is also creating aCanada-Ukraine Authorization For Emergency Travel program thatwillallow those accepted to work, live or study in Canada for up to two years.

WATCH | Fraser speaks to CBC's Power & Politics about plans to waivemost visa requirements:

Feds waive most typical visa requirements for Ukrainians, but stop short of waiving visas completely

3 years ago

Duration 10:11

"We don't want to open the door for folks who might cause damage to our national security interest...and, it would have taken a couple months longer to implement a visa waiver," says Immigration Minister Sean Fraser on why the feds are not waiving visa requirements for Ukrainians.

Fraser said the aim was to have the application process open within two weeks, a countdown that's set to end Thursday.

"We're on track to meet that deadline," Marie-France Lalonde, the minister's parliamentary secretary, told CBCMetro Morning'sIsmaila Alfa in an interview Tuesday morning.

"We've announced a new program that will cut through the red tape and certainly expedite the arrival to offer Ukrainians a safe harbour."

MP says government can't 'compromise' safety

Lalondesaid7,400 Ukranians have come to Canada since Jan. 1, but did not dispute that those people had already applied to immigrate here before the invasion began.

When asked how many Ukrainians had arrived since the Russian attack, she said she could not provide a specific number.

Lalonde also did not share astart date for the emergency travel program, saying only it would be launched "in the coming days."

Responding to calls for visa-free travel, the parliamentary secretary said the government's plan balances speed with safety concerns.

"What we've designed gets us to that goal, but in a way that doesn't create unintended consequences," she said.

"We cannot compromise on the safety and security of Canadians as well as Ukrainians who Canada will welcome."

The government's plan waivesmost of the typical visa requirements, but background screening and biometrics, such as fingerprints, will still need to be supplied before leaving for Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canadasaid it has set up visa application centres in neighbouring countries and can collect biometrics at its centre in Warsaw, with the possibility of sending kits to Vienna and Bucharest too as backup.

But Jabari said she's had trouble finding the visa application forms from her home in Canada, even with steady access to the internetand other basic tools someone fleeing an invasion wouldn't have.

"The expectation from immigration Canada, that somehow a refugee or someone fleeing is able to get all of these documents when government buildings, hospitals, banks are either bombed or closed is completely unrealistic," she said during an interview with CBC'sMetro Morning.

Ontario woman wants Canada to 'open the door'

Jabari described Canada's response as "disappointing," noting it's not clear how long the application process will takeand many Ukrainians can't afford to be stranded in Europe.

Her family members are sheltering inKosiv, a city in western Ukraine, and relatively safe though air sirens sound daily and there has been bombing nearby, she said.

Half of her family is Syrian, she said. They've been through something similar during conflict there, she said, and the application process was also complicated.

She pointed to European Union countries thathave waived the need for a visa and asked why Canada hasn't done the same.

"I just want immigration to know that yes, they might be streamlining, simplifying immigration processes, but nothing will justify the fact that these visa processes just should be dropped," she said.

"When someone needs help you open the door. That's the very first thing you do ... and we haven't done that."