Some Ukrainians are deciding to return home to their war-torn countries instead of remaining in Canada due to the high cost of living and other factors.
According to a recent CBC News report, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada are not tracking the number of outbound Ukrainian refugees but the decision to abandon the country to return to their homeland is becoming all too common for some Ukrainians.
CBC cited the experience of Oleksandra Balytska who moved to Toronto to pursue a tech job but found the cost of groceries unbearable.
“I was so terrified that I bought only like two ramens because of the prices,” said Balytska.
Balytska arrived in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel introduced shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.
After being laid off from her job and struggling to find employment, Balytska decided it was time to pack her bag and head back to Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Toronto worker Andrei Zavialov, he has seen at least 15 Ukrainians abandon Toronto for Ukraine.
A survey conducted by Zavialov on those who came to Canada under the emergency program found that over 40% planned on remaining permanently but 4.9% said they would head back home immediately while 11.6% said they hope to return when the war is over.
17-year-old Dnipro resident Yehor Horenych said that while he enjoyed Canada, living in the country felt limiting.
“Canada is a beautiful country with beautiful nature and nice people. But North America is far from Europe,” Horenych told CBC News.
“I could not get used to the Canadian lifestyle. The European way of life… it’s way too familiar, too beloved. We couldn’t afford staying in [another] European country, so I came back to Ukraine.”
