WASHINGTON — The Joe Biden administration has announced it will allow many Ukrainians who entered the United States through the southern border to stay in the country for another year under what’s called the parole program. humanitarian.
“As the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis continue, the Department of Homeland Security has concluded that there are urgent humanitarian reasons … to expand the word of mouth program humanitarian passes on a case-by-case basis for certain groups of Ukrainians and their family members,” the ministry spokesperson told media.
A humanitarian parole is a temporary immigration status that can be granted to people who otherwise would not be able to enter the United States. Circumstances such as a medical emergency or humanitarian crisis may be considered when deciding whether or not to provide a password.
The Department of Homeland Security estimates that processing cases and deciding whether or not to renew a password for Ukrainian refugees could take up to four weeks.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it led to an exodus of people from the country on a scale not seen since World War II. While most Ukrainians sought asylum in Europe, some chose to try to reach the United States.
While some Ukrainians had US visas allowing them to enter the country safely, many of the 20,000 Ukrainian citizens who traveled to the US-Mexico border to seek asylum did not have visas.
The ministry said the password for those who meet the requirements will be extended immediately after it expires.
“Those who have their passwords extended will also have their work permits extended for an appropriate period of time,” a ministry spokesperson said.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service chairman Krish O’Mara Vignaraja said the decision “would be a huge relief to thousands of Ukrainians who are experiencing anxiety and uncertainty about their future. ” in the USA.
That sentiment is familiar to Oksana Stankevich, a Ukrainian refugee and mother of three who now lives in Richmond, Virginia. She arrived in the United States with her husband and children last April.
“No one who has crossed the Mexican border really knows what to do next,” she told media.
Stankevich hopes the US government will announce an initiative to extend her status as she is currently unable to return to her home country.
“In general, we want to return to Ukraine when the war is over, but now we cannot return. And I don’t know if we have to leave America,” she said.
