Russia-Ukraine War: African Students dealing with racism, mistreatment while trying to exit Ukraine

Feb 28

By Ajay Hammond // Global News // EEW Magazine Online

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the country. Among them are African students who say they are facing discrimination at the border of Poland while simply trying to escape to safety.

Black people are reportedly having trouble using public transportation to get to the borders, and some have not been permitted to cross into other countries, according to Insider.

Korrine Sky, a 26-year-old medical student living in Ukraine, told Insider that African students were made aware of an alleged "Ukrainians first" policy when making attempts to exit the country.

"Some people have gone to get buses, but they're not allowing Black people basically onto the buses," she said. "They're prioritizing Ukrainians. That's what they say."

While these personal stories of discrimination are mounting, many are questioning which government entities, if any, are responsible.

Isaac, a Nigerian man trying to get into Poland, said border staff told him they were "not tending to Africans,” according to a BBC report.

"We've been chased back, we've been hit with police armed with sticks," he said.

"I'm very, very afraid," Sky told Insider and said she has been helping coordinate escape routes for hundreds of African students currently trapped in Ukraine.

"We're not getting any help from any of the embassies. They have pretty much just said, 'Save yourselves,’” she added.

A large population of African students travel to Ukraine due to its affordable education in the areas of medicine, engineering and other technical-related fields. It is a terrifying experience for them to be away from home, caught in the middle of a war.

Percy Ohene-Yeboah, an engineering major from Ghana, told Reuters via phone that he, too, is stuck in Ukraine in the basement of a church, with nowhere to go.

"In a situation like this, you're on your own. You've got to find the best way to find refuge for yourself," he said, noting that he has not received any assistance from his home government. "It's now that the reality is really hitting me. I think for me, it's a bit too late for evacuation and all those things."

BBC correspondent Stephanie Hegarty tweeted Saturday about a different Nigerian medical student saying Ukrainian guards at the Ukraine-Poland border were blocking Black people from crossing. She had been waiting seven hours.

According to Hegarty, the student said, “Ukrainian soldiers, not Polish border guards” were stopping Africans.

According to an Associated Press report, the U.N. human rights chief said at least 102 civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded in more than four days of fighting — warning that figure is probably a vast undercount — and Ukraine’s president said at least 16 children were among the dead.

More than a half-million people have fled the country since the invasion, another U.N. official said, with many of them going to Poland, Romania and Hungary. And millions have left their homes.

South African student Vukile Dlamini, who also spoke to Insider, tweeted last week, "As foreigners in the country, we do not know what will happen next, but God will never leave us, not now."

The Nigerian government has expressed disappointment amid ongoing reports of maltreatment of some Nigerian nationals attempting to flee Ukraine.

In a statement on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, the government urged customs authorities in Ukraine and neighboring countries to treat its citizens "with dignity.”