Africans trying to flee Ukraine complain of being blocked and of racist treatment
Reports are emerging of African students trapped in Ukraine who say they are being discriminated against as they try to flee amid Russia’s invasion.
Black people are allegedly being prevented from boarding trains and buses taking people to the borders, and some are not being permitted to cross into other countries, according to sources speaking to Insider and social media reports.
Thousands of African students live in Ukraine to study medicine and other technical fields at affordable prices.
Korrine Sky, a student in Ukraine, who helped coordinate escape routes for hundreds of African students trapped in the country, told Insider that some have struggled to get on buses heading to the border.
“Some people have gone to get buses, but they’re not allowing Black people basically onto the buses. They’re prioritizing Ukrainians. That’s what they say,” Sky said.
One African student who reached the Ukraine-Poland border wrote on Twitter that Ukrainian police and army were refusing to let Africans cross.
He shared a video that showed authorities “threatening to shoot” them.
Watch how they are threatening to shoot us!
— Nze (@nzekiev) February 27, 2022
We are currently at the Ukraine -Poland border.
Their Police and Army refused to let Africans cross they only allow Ukrainian.
Some have slept here for 2 days under this scorching cold weather, while many have gone back to Lviv. pic.twitter.com/47YG4gxFC4
“We are currently at the Ukraine-Poland border. Their Police and Army refused to let Africans cross they only allow Ukrainian. Some have slept here for 2 days under this scorching cold weather, while many have gone back to Lviv,” he wrote.