Ukrainian Immigration to Canada: From Post Independence to Post War

National Conference

University of Alberta - Edmonton, Canada

Conference Registration Site

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's declaration of independence in 1991, immigration from Ukraine to Canada has steadily risen, to a point that some have labeled it the "Fourth Wave". Yet, despite comprising more than  69,000 arrivals, the post-1991 wave of Ukrainians in Canada has been little-understood and certainly understudied. Nonetheless, a closer analysis of the household make-up, labour market participation, and patterns of social mobility of this group has in recent years become seen as imperative to understanding a meaningful faction of Canadian society, and there continues to be research conducted on this topic (Isajiw, Satzewich, & Duvalko, 2002; Lynn, 2014; Khanenko-Friesen, Satzewich, & Hwang, 2021).

The renewed full scale attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine launched 24 February 2022 unleashed unprecedented migratory flows from Ukraine. More than eleven million in total have been displaced and millions have left Ukraine for safety. Already tens of thousands have arrived in Canada as Canada opened up its border to fleeing Ukrainians. Yet, the unprecedented Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) and the unknowns of its Ukrainian issuees' long-term residency status has only underlined the importance of comprehending past Ukrainian migration and settlement trends.

As the organizing committee of Ukrainian Immigration to Canada: From Post Independence to Post War, we have invited scholars working in various disciplines, including but not limited to Ukrainian studies, Canadian studies, sociology, history, anthropology, and political and cultural studies to address the following topics:

• What are the scope and parameters of post-1991 Ukrainian immigration overall?
• In what ways has post-1991 Ukrainian immigration to Canada contributed to Canadian society in general?
• What is the impact of post-1991 Ukrainian arrivals on Canada’s pre-existing Ukrainian communities, as well as these Ukrainian Canadians’ relationship with Ukraine? What level of integration is achieved between pre-existing Ukrainian Canadian networks and organizations and the post-1991 immigration cohort(s)?
• How have relationships between various segments of the Ukrainian Canadian community and post-1991 immigrants in Canada evolved in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine over the last eight years (2014 to present day)? 
• What relationships have formed between community NGOs, local and national Ukrainian Canadian ethnocultural organizations, and Ukrainian immigrants to Canada after 1991, and in what ways have we seen these groups mobilized since February 2022?
• How have Canadians and Ukrainian Canadians responded to the arrival of Ukrainians fleeing the war and entering Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET)? 
• What data sources can be used for the study of recent immigration and CUAET arrivals? 
• How can research on current and recent Ukrainian Canadian immigration inform policymakers and community leaders when considering the performance and impact of immigration programs?

The conference organizers will be putting together a collection of essays following the symposium based on best presentations at the conference.