FOR URGENT RELEASE
May 13, 2021
Contact: Kei Esmaeilpour
(604)-788-7766
Civicic.com/contact
Civic Association of Iranian Canadians (Civic IC)
The Civic Association of Iranian-Canadians (Civic IC) is pleased to hear of the new public policy that is to apply to certain families of victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in obtaining permanent resident status. On May 12 Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that the government has put in place a new program to assist in-Canada families of victims of these tragedies in obtaining permanent resident status.
Accordingly, this policy allows family members of victims who were Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or foreign nationals and were found eligible for permanent residency to apply for permanent resident status if they currently reside in Canada or if they have somehow lost their status in Canada. The policy will remain in effect until May 11, 2022.
The Civic IC is also pleased to hear that the IRCC is extending the original temporary residence public policy for families of victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752. This will allow the individuals who were initially issued temporary resident visas following the disaster, but who did not travel, to continue to benefit from specialized assistance and come to Canada if they wish to.
Given the large loss of Canadian life aboard these flights, the Civic IC supports this undertaking and praises Canada’s ongoing and wide-ranging support for the victims of these tragedies. This new pathway to permanent residence will be help families in coping with the loss of their loved ones and building their lives in Canada.
We ask the Canadian government to continue its support for victims' families, and to remain steadfast in seeking justice and accountability for those responsible for the tragic demise of so many Iranian-Canadian lives abord Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752