Image Credit: AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Kamloops needs to open its wallets for Ukraine refugees

Mar 2, 2022 | 4:15 AM

THE WAR IN UKRAINE is about to hit a lot closer to home.

At this writing, more than 600,000 people have fled Ukraine to escape the Russian onslaught. They’re crossing into Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Slovakia. The total grows by 50,000 people every day, and the European Union estimates the ultimate number may hit as many as four million. That’s staggering.

The queues at border crossings are reaching for miles; some refugees are waiting days to get to the other side. Many are on foot.

While they are safe once they cross, they might not be able to return home and will need to be permanently relocated. Where will they go?

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Twenty-seven European countries have agreed to take Ukrainian refugees without having to apply for asylum. The United Kingdom is planning to take 200,000. The U.S. also says it will take refugees, though the number is fuzzy.

Canada will welcome them, too. Four thousand have already been approved for immigration. Measures are being taken to ease bureaucratic requirements.

Their welcome here will be warm — Canada has almost 1.5 million people of full or partial Ukrainian origin, the world’s third-largest Ukrainian population behind Ukraine itself and Russia.

Kamloops has its own robust Ukrainian-Canadian population of several thousand, which puts it in a good position to help out. And that’s where this war comes right to where we live. We’re already involved through charitable groups collecting donations to help those fleeing Ukraine. March 16, RAFT Kamloops — Refugees and Friends Together — will hold a fundraising dinner at the Colombo Lodge to help refugees coming to the city.

It costs about $30,000 to resettle one family. There will be other fundraising efforts, of course, and this is one very important, and direct way that Canada and Kamloops can help.

And, by the way, the scam artists will be around, so be careful to check out who to donate to.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.