About 1,000 Ukrainians have sought refuge in N.L. But at least one says he regrets coming

About 1,000 people displaced by the war in Ukraine have come to Newfoundland and Labrador, but at least one Ukrainian says building a life is proving difficult — and he's beginning to regret his move to the province.

In mid-September, Zohrab Demergian arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador with his wife, stepson and dog, after fleeing Ukraine earlier this year.

The IT professional had high hopes for his job prospects and ability to find housing, but three weeks later, his family is still in temporary accommodations provided by the Association for New Canadians, and he hasn't been able to secure meaningful employment.

"We are sitting in the hotel just looking at each other," he told CBC News. "My job every day at the hotel is I'm spending 12 hours on my laptop just to look for a job."

Demergian and his family were drawn to Canada because of the federal Ukrainian emergency travel visa, implemented earlier this year. When it came time to decide where in Canada they would go, Demergian and his wife settled on Newfoundland and Labrador. 

'We want to build our future'

He said the support offered by the ANC and provincial government, the job prospects and the promise of a quieter life all played a role in his family's decision to move to the province. He took out a €1,000 loan (about $1,350 Cdn) to make the trip to Newfoundland and Labrador. 

The first payment was due this week, and despite weeks of searching, Demergian hasn't found employment.

"Nice is not gonna cover my cost of living," he said. "I'm not asking for free housing again, I'm not asking for free money. All I'm asking is for a job to get paid like a normal human being."

The provincial government has chartered three flights — the most recent of which arrived Tuesday — carrying more than 500 people fleeing the war in Ukraine, and about 500 others have travelled to the province on their own. The provincial government, along with the ANC, has provided housing, food, health care and financial support.

Demergian said he's grateful for the support but he's itching to get a job so his family can move out of temporary housing and into an apartment. He's currently living in St. John's, but said he wouldn't mind relocating to another part of the province.

"We want to build our future in here. We wanted to start something new in here, even if we will have to start from point zero," he said.

3/4 of displaced Ukrainians in N.L. have found work: Byrne

Joedy Wall, Progressive Conservative immigration, population growth and skills critic, raised Demergian's plight in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

"When will you live up to the promises that you have made to these individuals?" he asked Immigration Population Growth and Skills Minister Gerry Byrne.

While speaking with reporters, Byrne said the ANC would help Demergian find employment.

"The tech sector of our province has already … offered employment to many, many Ukrainians already, and I hope this individual is equally successful as well," he said.

Byrne said prior to the arrival of the chartered flight on Tuesday, which carried 177 people, about 75 per cent of the Ukrainians who have come to Newfoundland and Labrador have found employment.

Byrne said about 560 people who have come to the province because of the war in Ukraine have found market housing. Not including the 177 people who arrived in the province on Tuesday evening, Byrne said about 260 people are still living in temporary housing — though most of those people arrived separately from the government-chartered flights in May and June. 

He said about 24 of the 354 people who arrived on the two previous chartered flights are still living in temporary accommodations.

"They have specific, extensive needs; they're not in a position where they can go to the community at this point in time," he said.

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