Russia Invades Ukraine
Could CCGS Bethune help Ukraine?
Over 500,000 refugees escaping the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are in Poland. Another 100,000 are in Hungary, with 100,000 in Moldova and 72,000 in Slovakia. Zero are in Canada.
Canada has an ethnic Ukrainian population of over 1 million people. We have the third largest Ukrainian population in the world after Ukraine itself and Russia. Yet Canada hasn’t accepted any Ukrainian refugees from the current war. Canada has offered to fast track immigration to Canada staring in a couple of weeks. This was the same process and promise offered for the Afghans who had helped the Canadian military in that conflict and some of those people are still trapped in Afghanistan.. One thing the Canadian Government excels at is promising action and then sitting on their hands.
What could Canada have done?
If Canada had an asset like CCGS Bethune, there would be a couple of specific things they could be doing. Bethune could be loaded with hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid supplies for Ukrainian refugees, and non-lethal supplies for those fighting to protect Ukraine. She would not carry lethal weaponry for the Ukrainian military for security reasons. Carrying weapons bound for a belligerent party during a war would make her a target. But, while in a European port, Canadian immigration officials could do a preliminary screening of refugees wanting to come to Canada.
Those approved could board Bethune, with further processing being done during the return voyage. This would result in fully accepted Ukrainian immigrants landing in Canada, ready to join relatives and loved ones
Bethune of course doesn’t exist. If she did, she would be the only Humanitarian Aid/ Disaster Relief Ship in the world. She would already be famous for providing aid after tsunamis, earth quakes and floods.
If CCGS Bethune were available, she could be tied up right now at a Polish or European port such as: Kolobrzeg, Ustka, Hamborg, Bremerhaven or Amsterdam. Since Poland is providing free train travel for refugees, they could easily reach a designated port.
Bethune could be an important asset to Canada’s government and a proud symbol for Canadians. We need CCGS Bethune.