New York, Brief News – The United Nations (UN) has admitted that some non-Europeans refugees have faced racism while trying to flee to safety at Ukraine borders.
Filippo Grandi, the organisation’s High Commissioner for Refugees, acknowledged in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, that hundreds of non-Europeans refugees have experienced racism at the Ukrainian borders.
Social media users have widely shared videos showing African students and residents of Ukraine trying to flee from the war being pushed back at border crossings and trains while experiencing racism and aggression.
Those anecdotes, videos and images of Black men, women and children sleeping in train stations and out in the cold on streets and border zones have spread widely on social media. The videos sparked condemnation and statements of concern from the public.
Ukraine is home to thousands of students from African nations seeking degrees in medicine and engineering, for example, at more affordable prices compared to schools in North America and the rest of Europe.
The Ukrainian Education Ministry says Morocco, Nigeria and Egypt are in the top 10 countries who have students in Ukraine. More than 16,000 students sent between the three of them.
Thousands of foreigners, mainly students, are still trapped in Ukraine as military tension continue to rise.
470,000 foreign nationals remain stranded in Ukraine, including students and migrant workers, the UN migration agency said.
The UN agency urged neighbouring countries to grant them refuge if they try to flee.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled during the four days of conflict into neighbouring countries, mainly Poland and Hungary. The United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) says more than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine, nearly 300,000 of them entering Poland.
