Minister Fraser concludes a successful visit to Europe

May 6, 2022 — Warsaw, Poland—The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), today concluded a successful visit to Europe, which included stops in Belgium, France and Poland. Throughout the week, the Minister met with key European allies and European Union (EU) partners to discuss the ongoing crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to helping the world’s most vulnerable.

In Brussels, Belgium, the Minister met with representatives from the EU, including the European Commission, the European Council and ProtectDefenders,eu, as well as with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Front Line Defenders, the International Organization for Migration and the Migration Policy Institute Europe, to discuss Canada’s response to the crisis in Afghanistan and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Minister and his counterparts also explored continued opportunities for collaboration on international migration and refugee protection.

Minister Fraser also met the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson. Together, they discussed the need to better support the growing number of displaced people worldwide. Accompanied by the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Sammy Mahdi, Minister Fraser also visited a Belgian refugee registration centre designed to welcome and support Ukrainians.

During a stop in Paris, the Minister spoke at an event to promote Francophone immigration opportunities in Canada, and he engaged with potential immigration candidates from Europe, the Maghreb and other Francophone countries around the world. He also visited a visa application centre to better understand the client experience when accessing services.

While in Europe, Minister Fraser delivered a keynote address at an event hosted in Warsaw by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the Ukrainian crisis. The Minister highlighted Canada’s solidarity with Ukraine and reaffirmed our commitment to welcome Ukrainians seeking temporary safe haven in Canada.

In Warsaw, Poland, the Minister announced the expansion of overseas services for Ukrainians seeking temporary safe haven in Canada by launching the Canada Information Centre, as well as a second temporary biometric centre in Berlin that will provide up to 1,000 biometrics appointments per day.

While in Poland, the Minister also met with Paweł Szefernaker, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration of the Republic of Poland and officials from the municipality of Lublin, Poland to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and our respective efforts to support individuals fleeing the country. Also in Lublin, the Minister visited a base of operations for humanitarian organizations that are receiving and distributing essential relief items from around the world for Ukrainians fleeing the war, including items donated by the Government of Canada.

Minister Fraser looks forward to the continued partnership between Canada and our EU counterparts in addressing the ongoing humanitarian situations in Ukraine and Afghanistan, as well as refugee protection, economic migration and the successful integration of newcomers.