African nations condemn reports of racism against students at Ukrainian border
By Laura Ly and Nimi Princewill, CNN
Updated 11:56 AM ET, Tue March 1, 2022
Refugee tells CNN he was told they were 'not allowing Blacks' to board train
(CNN)Representatives from the three African nations on the UN Security Council -- Kenya, Ghana, and Gabon -- all condemned reports of discrimination against African citizens at the Ukrainian border during a meeting at the UN HQ in New York City Monday.
There have been widespread reports from African students fleeing the country that they faced segregation, racism and abuse.
"In the unfolding emergency, there have been disturbing reports about the racist treatment of Africans and people of African descent seeking to flee Ukraine to safety. The media is covering these appalling incidents and several states have confirmed that their citizens are suffering such treatment. We strongly condemn this racism and believe that it is damaging to the spirit of solidarity that is so urgently needed today.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/01/africa/africa-condemns-racism-ukraine-intl/index.html
( Sad. )
PortTack
(32,688 posts)They are being detained only until paper work can be worked out.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Racism and assaults: African students' daily struggle in Ukraine
Issued on: 08/08/2013 - 12:25Modified: 19/08/2013 - 10:43
Ukraine was supposed to be their Eldorado, but everyday life for Congolese is a huge struggle: intimidation, insults and assaults are a daily occurence for the black African students doing their university studies in Europe.
https://observers.france24.com/en/20130808-racism-agression-african-students-ukraine
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)of Ukrainian women and children, mostly exhausted and miserable, but who are able to move through within hours.
The other of non-Ukrainians, students and professionals. They're mostly men of dozens of nationalities, but women also, seemingly white or whitish but all colors. They'd walked there and typically been there for days, freezing, now angry, told they're not permitted to board the busses, which are for Ukrainian women and children only. (There is no commentary about treatment of people of dark color.)
An Afghani family with a newborn baby was afraid the baby would die from the cold; but having arrived they were able to move to the front of the non-Ukrainian side because of the children -- then not allowed to cross because the baby was undocumented. A German couple with infant twins is also waiting to cross; they were waiting for babies' passports when the war started. A Vietnamese wife of a Ukrainian man is directed to the Ukrainian line with their children.
UN says 677,000 fleeing so far.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)behaving that way could seriously delay passage to safety.
The students and others said they were told Ukrainian nationals were prioritized. Does that mean people from other nations are also being held back? Some Indians said only Indian girls were let through at the border and the men and boys held back, even though the Ukrainian military service did not apply to them, and treated very badly.
Reportedly government orders addressing this have been issued, but of course they have to get down to this level in the middle of the emergency...
"It's very difficult at the moment for Nigerians and other foreigners to cross. The Ukrainian officials are allowing more Ukrainians to cross into Poland. For instance, around 200 to 300 Ukrainians can cross, and then only 10 foreigners or 5 will be allowed to cross... and the duration of time is too long. It's really hard.. they push us, kick us, insult us," Abigail said.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Racism and assaults: African students' daily struggle in Ukraine
2013
https://observers.france24.com/en/20130808-racism-agression-african-students-ukraine
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)with some prioritized over others, it reminded me of the titanic. That was incredibly worse of course because the steerage passengers, white as it happens but irrelevant, were dutifully locked below by low-status staff to keep them away from the inadequate lifeboats.
I suspect in coming days we will find learn of some reasons for the orders prioritizing Ukrainian women and children that make at least some sense, though not what they shouldve been.
I read that one reason India abstained and didnt stand with other nations against Russia was that they had thousands of Indians in Ukraine they would need Russian assistance to get home.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Human behavior/decency is challenged beyond belief for them right now. Racism is not shocking to find in the world, but it is sad to me. I hope this ends safely for all of them, it is a horrific situation.
Referenced scholar:
Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon
Ph.D. student | Race and Blackness in USSR & GDR | Writer | @H__Ukraine
Review Editor | @Swarthmore & @Harvard
REECA alumna
NBC 14 hours ago
excerpt: Scholars have said that amid the invasion and humanitarian crisis, Black and brown people in Ukraine could find themselves at the bottom of the social hierarchy as they try to flee.
excerpt: While the official count of African and Black people in Ukraine has not been updated in 20 years, Reuters reported that there are more than 16,000 African students in Ukraine, citing the education ministry. As of 2020, Moroccan, Nigerian and Egyptian citizens made up nearly 20 percent of all students in Ukraine.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry called on relevant agencies to support foreign citizens but appeared to dismiss the reports of discrimination as Russian propaganda. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs, tweeted Tuesday that Africans needed to evacuate the country safely.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/open-door-die-africans-report-racism-hostility-trying-flee-ukraine-rcna17953
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)with power in this situation, or that with large percentages of nonwhite students in an eastern European nation nation that was a preexisting problem.
But in this case almost all non-Ukrainians of all races are being very seriously discriminated against, tens of thousands of them, including all men without children to care for. They've been waiting for days in freezing temperatures, and most have become angry at their treatment as they watch Ukrainian women and children able to pass into Poland within hours.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)and Poland is now welcoming anyone who can cross the border. Over 100K people crossed Tuesday alone. And the two lines segregating Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians have become one long line of people of all nationalities, including Ukrainian.
A UN crisis management team came to help, and did. Their statement contradicted the claims of widespread racial discrimination, but reporters at the main Polish border crossing were firm that the backup they saw was of mosty black and brown people and they had been told multiple reports of incidents, including three reports of dark-skinned women with children pulled off trains. I noticed that apparently there's more emphasis there on differentiation of people into "brown" or "white" than in the U.S.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)I am glad to hear the UN recognized the need for a team, that is spectacular under the circumstances!
Thanks for letting me know.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)or farther along their many journies.