Canada Eases Biometrics Requirements for Lowest-risk Ukrainian Refugees

Canada has eased its biometric identification requirements for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, but substantial measures remain in place.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had announced changes to its immigration policy in March, established a Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program that would streamline the process for Ukrainian refugees. However, potential immigrants would still be required to provide face and fingerprint data in person at a Visa Application Center before traveling to Canada. This requirement was further complicated by the fact that Canada was not operating any VACs within Ukraine, meaning that refugees would need to first travel to an European country that had a Canadian VAC.

Facing some concerned scrutiny over this particular aspect of its CUAET program, Canada would go on to ease the biometric data collection requirement. In an announcement of additional humanitarian support on Saturday, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser explained that under the CUAET program Canada no longer requires biometrics from individuals under the age of 18 or over 60, nor are biometrics required from those who have previously been issued Canadian visas.

The changes will undoubtedly help to streamline the immigration process for Ukrainian refugees, allowing greater numbers to access temporary shelter in Canada as the conflict with Russia continues. But the fact that the biometric requirement remains in place for the vast majority of adult Ukrainians speaks to the importance of biometric identification as a security measure in the eyes of the Canadian government. Like other states around the world, Canada has been intensifying its biometric data collection requirements for visitors in recent years, while exploring the use biometric scanning technology at airports.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine biometric technology is playing an unexpectedly significant role on the battlefield. Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recently confirmed that the Ukrainian government is using facial recognition to identify fallen Russian soldiers.

As for Canada’s latest promise of aide to the country, its weekend announcement indicated that the Trudeau government has committed another CAD $100 million in humanitarian support, in addition to $145 million that had previously been committed.

Sources: Global News, CBC, CIC News

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April 11, 2022 – by Alex Perala