Ukraine is a country bounded by Russia, Turkey ,Hungary and Poland now being invaded by Russia to what its called “special military operations” by the president of Russia, Putin. Before this war Ukraine had been home to thousands of international students and now they the war has sent them to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. In this case, in Ukraine and the boarder of poland black student said they are treated last in every thing , as some reported or posted on social media how they were taking off the train so that Ukrainians enters first before any other same at the boarder of poland as they are not allowed to enter.
Nigeria’s government has condemned reports that its citizens, and those of other African countries, have been stopped from leaving war-torn Ukraine.
Isaac, a Nigerian man trying to get into Poland, said border staff told him they were “not tending to Africans”.
“We’ve been chased back, we’ve been hit with police armed with sticks,” he said.
South African foreign office official Clayson Monyela also said students had been “badly treated” at the border.
There have also been numerous reports of Ukrainian security officials preventing Africans from catching buses and trains going to the border.
Osemen, from Nigeria, posted he had tried to get on a train in Lviv to take him to the Polish border but was told only Ukrainians would be allowed on board.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari said there were about 4,000 Nigerians in Ukraine, mostly students.
He said one group had repeatedly been refused entry to Poland so they travelled back into Ukraine to head for Hungary instead.
“All who flee a conflict situation have the same right to safe passage under the UN Convention, and the colour of their passport or their skin should make no difference,” Mr Buhari said in a tweet.
More than 350,000 Ukrainians have managed to flee the Russian invasion so far.
The EU has opened all boarders for those fleeing from Ukraine and granted access to stay for about 3 years without seeking for asylum.
Hotel only for Ukrainians’
University student Ruqqaya, from Nigeria, was studying medicine in Kharkiv in the east of the country when the city was attacked. She walked for 11 hours overnight before she arrived at the Medyka crossing with Poland.
“When I came here there were many black people sleeping on the street,”
She says she was told by armed guards to wait as Ukrainians had to be let through first. She watched bus loads of people, whom she described as white, being allowed through the border while only a handful of Africans were selected from the queue. After waiting for many hours, she was finally allowed to cross and made her way to Warsaw to fly back to Nigeria, ‘its not easy, she said”.
Asya, a medical student from Somalia studying in Kyiv, had a similar story. When she finally reached Poland, she said she was told “accommodation at the hotel was only for Ukrainians”. Meaning whether let in to neighbouring countries or not it seams black will get the same treatment of discrimination
The story keeps contradicting because the black will say they arr being discriminated and polish officials says another.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geofrey Onyeama said he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and had been assured that Ukrainian border guards had been given an order to allow all foreigners leaving Ukraine to pass without restrictions.
Nigeria’s ministry of foreign affairs has now advised its citizens leaving Ukraine to head for Hungary or Romania, rather than trying to enter Poland.
