3 Ukrainian youngsters stranded in Mexico granted visas to return to Edmonton | Globalnews.ca

Three Ukrainian youngsters, adopted by an Edmonton lady, are coming house after being stranded in Mexico for months.

“Everyone seems to be pleased to listen to pleased information,” stated Olga Ostapiv, who’s a Canadian citizen and the authorized guardian of three youngsters from Ukraine named Anastasia, Yulia and Maksim.

The youngsters have a particular sort of visa known as CUAET ( Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Journey), which grants them one-time entry into Canada. It isn’t thought of a refugee program.

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3 Ukrainian youngsters from Edmonton caught in Mexico

Ostapiv stated she wished to assist them overlook concerning the warfare and determined to take them on a trip she had booked earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine a yr in the past.

She says as a result of her English isn’t nice, she requested immigration officers if the children may journey with these paperwork and was instructed sure.

Nonetheless, when it got here time to move again to the airport in Mexico and return house to Edmonton, she realized the children couldn’t fly again to Canada.

The youngsters have been in Mexico for 2 months now, resort hopping on a weekly foundation and unable to return to Edmonton.

Ostapiv accepts duty and admits it’s her mistake for not understanding the bounds of the visa.

“I simply merely ask, please assist me to repair this,” she stated Thursday, including the children suffered due to her misunderstanding. “I took duty for these youngsters. They belief me. They like to remain right here.”

For 2 months, Ostapiv has been working to get the visa situation resolved.

At one level, sending the kids again to Ukraine appeared prefer it may be the one alternative — a heartbreaking possibility, as they’d began college in Edmonton, made new pals, and joined actions like dance and taekwondo.

The youngsters have been wanting ahead to as soon as once more attending summer season occasions they took in after they first arrived in Edmonton, just like the Heritage Pageant.

“The worst situation is to ship them again house,” she stated, explaining they’d be housebound in a area with no energy or in-person college. “They misplaced reference to their pals and schoolmates within the Ukraine. And their first query was, how can we (go) again now?”

On Thursday, Ostapiv instructed International Information the kids have been granted visas and passports to come back again to Canada.

Ostapiv stated she was prepared to leap on a aircraft to Puerto Vallarta immediately however was suggested by the federal government staff she’s been speaking with to attend whereas the paperwork is processed.

She is now working to get the paperwork into the kids’s fingers and thinks it may take every week to get that sorted.

Ostapiv stated her household lives a quiet, easy life and chatting with the media concerning the mix-up has been irritating — however after two months of making an attempt to cope with the problem on their very own and getting nowhere, going public about it introduced outcomes.

“I didn’t anticipate it to be so quick,” she stated of the kids have been getting their documentation two days after she spoke out. “I assumed, sure, perhaps sooner — perhaps every week — however as we speak, actually, it’s like magic.”

She could be very grateful for all of the individuals who helped to get the kids house.

“Thanks for everybody. It’s heaps folks concerned and helped me to resolve my mistake.”

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