For a Ukrainian family in Winnipeg, staying in Canada is mandatory.

Oleksandra and Roman Borys have been in the country for two and a half years and are still waiting to find out if their family qualifies for the provincial candidate program.

The family came to Winnipeg from the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, and Oleksandra said the contrast couldn’t be greater.

“It’s really unsafe there now because Russia is shelling Ukraine every day,” she said. “Every day. Every day someone dies (there), It’s like a lottery — you never know if you’ll be next.

“You feel nice (in Winnipeg), with all these friendly people. You feel that people respect you and care about you.”

The family applied for the provincial candidate program two years ago, but their application is still in limbo. Many of their friends, who applied around the same time, were approved.

The couple has two daughters, 9 and 18 years old, and the youngest, Yuliana, has special needs and uses a wheelchair. Oleksandra said that the education system in this country was a revelation and one of the main reasons why they hope to stay in Canada.

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“The most important thing is that she can get an education here in Canada, and she never (had) that choice in Ukraine,” she said.

Roman added that the family’s roots here are too strong to leave, even if the war ends. She feels that their daughter is more supported and accepted than she ever was in Ukraine.

“When we came to Canada, I saw that all the doors could be opened with a button. So if you are in a wheelchair, you can open any door. It is open to everyone in a wheelchair,” said Roman. “There is no such thing in Ukraine.”

A statement from Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino called the situation worrisome and said she had directed her staff to look into the long delays “which appear to be extraordinary outside of standard processing times.” The province says it aims to process applications within a few months, but it often takes longer.

Reduces the provincial candidate program could mean challenges for would-be immigrants to Manitoba, as well as certain labor markets, says a Winnipeg immigration lawyer.

“There is no easy solution to this,” Alastair Clarke of Clarke Immigration Law told Global Winnipeg.

“Within our work, a lot of what we do is trying to manage people’s expectations and trying to deal with high levels of anxiety and depression. People are very frustrated.”

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