Over one million refugees have fled Ukraine. Hundreds of millions across the globe have poured out empathy for the vulnerable Ukrainians. But hundreds of Africans living in Ukraine have not received equitable empathy from Ukrainians and officials. As refugees flocked to the trains to flee, Whites were boarding, and Africans were denied.
The United Nations has stated that this can be the greatest exodus in Europe and “the biggest refugee crisis this century.” The European Union (EU) estimates that that one million may reach up to four million in the coming days. But why are Africans not given the same opportunities to flee? And on a global scale, how can the global community show so much empathy for the Ukrainians, while having so much apathy for the Africans?
Moustapha Bagui Sylla, a student originally from Guinea in West Africa, is a resident in Kharkiv. Along with fellow Ukrainians, he fled to the border. But his experience was different from his White counterparts. “They stopped us at the border and told us that Blacks were not allowed,” Sylla says. “But we could see White people going through.”
Similar treatment was experienced by Barley Mufaro Gurure, a space engineering student from Zimbabwe. She took an exhausting four-day trip to the border. And when it was her turn to cross the border, she says that the guard pushed her and other African students to give priority to White Ukrainians.
“We felt [like we were] treated like animals,” Gurure says. “When we left [Kyiv], we were just trying to survive. We never thought that they would have treated us like that. I thought we were all equal…that we were trying to stand together.”
While the world still pours out empathy and aid, several African nations have been vocal about this mistreatment. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted that “all who flee a conflict situation have the same right to safe passage under the UN Convention, and the color of their passport or their skin should make no difference.”
The African Union has also issued a statement on the reports of segregation against Africans. “Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach [of] international law.”
While some African refugees have stated that they’ve received a warm welcome in neighboring countries, such as Moldova and Romania, it seems like Poland may be the other additional factor in keeping the Africans within the Ukrainian walls. A Ukrainian guard at the border echoed this, saying that he was simply following instructions from Polish counterparts, but officials in Warsaw have denied this.
One would imagine that foreigners would leave and the citizens would remain to fight for their country. The irony of disallowing Africans from fleeing is that they don’t have an actual reason to stay – they are not Ukrainian citizens – therefore, they are not required to fight. They are generally transient students who don’t have, and are not expected to have, the same type of allegiance as Ukrainian citizens, who were actually required to stay. As CNN reported, “It is forbidden for men aged 18-60, Ukraine citizens, to leave the borders of Ukraine.” So why forbid an African woman?
Claire Moor, an African student, says that she tried to board the train. But the guard insisted that only women could take the train. As she pointed out that she was a woman (which was already obvious), she says the officer turned away from her. “I was shocked because I did not know the extent of the racism,” she says. Another African lady, Chineye Mbagwu, added that when she tried to board, a guard told her “our women first.”
The only plausible reason that these women can be treated in this manner is that the life of Blacks have been deemed less worthy than the life of Whites. And the words of reporters may have just summed this up. “This is emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed,” one reporter says. Another reporter stated that “This is not a developing third-world nation – this is Europe.” Apparently, the value of the life of a human being is predicated upon eye color and geographic location.
