The Immigration Story of Olesya Aleksandrova (Kyrgyz immigrant)
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Kyrgyz immigrant Olesya Aleksandrova recalls the threats and intimidation that led her to immigrate to Vancouver in 2007.
I arrived with my little daughter, she was 4 years old. The reason for immigration was the political situation in Kg. I had my own medical business and people from government and from local mafia were tried to take my business to them themself. My parent got a lot of phone calls from mafia and they told to my parent if they wants to see me alife we have to share our business. We had people in our medical center who were trying to destroid everything in the center. Police didn't help us, I was afraid to stay along, it become very dangerouse to stay in the country. I decided to immigrate, to see Canada was my life dream, so I find everything about immigration. My immigration proccess was only 9 months and I got my visa. When I arrived to Vancouver I didnt have anybody who I know here, I didnt have anybody to help me to servive. My husband arrived only in 1 year. Now we have been living in Vancouver for 5 years, last months I got my citizenship! I have my own business, my second daughter was born here. My husband have been here only 4 years and he is getting his citizenship next summer, he is heliskiing gyde but he can not do it in Canada becouse he has to stady for 4 years full time to get this diploma, but we can not afford it, so now he is working in construction. Life is hard for newcomers in Canada, but we enjoy every minute we spend together here. Now we have a lot of friends and we are helping new immigrants with there adaptation in Vancouver. We wish good luck to every new comer and be sure that Canada is the country were the dreams come true!