African students in Ukraine face discrimination as they try to flee fighting

The Nigerian government has called on Ukrainian border officials and those in neighbouring countries on Monday to treat its citizens equally after reports that Africans were being discriminated against while trying to flee from the Russian invasion.

Refugees from many different countries in Africa, the Middle East and India - mostly students of Ukrainian universities are at the Medyka pedestrian border crossing fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, in eastern Poland, 27 February 2022. © WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP

Nigerians, Ghanaians, Somalis and other Africans studying in Ukraine have been trying to escape across the borders along with hundreds and thousands of people since Russia launched an offensive last week.

"There have been unfortunate reports of Ukrainian police and security personnel refusing to allow Nigerians to board buses and trains heading towards the Ukraine-Poland border," said presidential advisor Garba Shehu in a statement.

"In one video widely circulating on social media, a Nigerian mother with her young baby was filmed being physically forced to give up her seat to another person,” he said.

Calling the reports that Africans were being discriminated against "disappointing", Crisis Group Senior Analyst Arrey E. Ntui went on social media to denounce the violations of human rights of Africans on the ground in Ukraine.

"Africa's three members in UNSC (UN Security Council) must bear this in mind and defend all human rights," he added.

This is disappointing. In a war where states are pursuing the moral high ground, there should be no place for such violations of human rights against African people caught in #UkraineRussiaWar. Africa's three members in UNSC must bear this in mind and defend all human rights. https://t.co/poIMwvq0nJ

— Arrey E. Ntui (@ArreyMcNtui) February 28, 2022

Shehu added that there are separate reports of Polish officials refusing Nigerian citizens entry into Poland from Ukraine, and while he recognized the constraints of the such a situation, he also asked for equal treatment.

"For that reason, it is paramount that everyone is treated with dignity and without favour," added Shehu.

Poland's ambassador to Nigeria Joanna Tarnawska maintained that this was not the case.

"Everybody receives equal treatment. I can assure you that I have reports that already some Nigerian nationals have crossed the border into Poland," she told local media.

Tarnawska said Nigerians, like other non-European citizens, had 15 days to leave the country or find other arrangements, adding that even expired documents were being accepted to cross the border and Covid-19 restrictions had been lifted.

One African student who identified herself as Guinean-Sierra Leonean said on social media she had finally made it across the border on Monday, but in previous tweets, she said she didn’t even have her tablet, an extra pair of jeans, or any of her schoolbooks.

Update. I made it across the border from Ukraine into Poland with 10 of my Sierra Leonean friends.

— Rabi (@viva_la_rabi) February 28, 2022

On Friday, the Somali government issued a statement to all Somali nationals in Ukraine to urgently contact the Berlin and Brussels embassies for evacuation assistance.

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Ghana also issued a statement on Friday, saying that their nationals have been identified and contacted. The airspace has been shut, but they called on all Ghanaians to evacuate by land through Moldova, Belarus, Slovakia, or Hungary, saying in a statement that talks with various countries to deal with their nationals is "far advanced."

"The government has put in place the necessary package to facilitate the transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical support, etc., to ease the burden on our compatriots," according to a statement published by Ghana’s foreign ministry on Friday.

Senegal's ambassador to Ukraine and Poland Papa Diop said that special arrangements had been made to help the 70 nationals residing in Ukraine to cross over into Poland. He said that long queues had formed and that conditions were difficult.

The European Union stepped in on Sunday moved to coordinate hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian attack.

Agence France Presse newswire estimates that some 400,000 Ukrainians have entered the EU since the beginning of the Russian offensive on Thursday, with the Polish government saying that half of those fleeing have entered Poland.

Refugees fleeing conflict in Ukraine arrive at the Medyka border crossing, in Poland, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. © AP/Visar Kryeziu