Ukraine Admits Racism against Foreigners amid Russian Invasion

The Ukrainian government acknowledged the racist treatment of foreigners willing to flee the country since the Russian invasion last Thursday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected Ukrainians and non-citizens in many devastating ways.”

https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1498791864916496389

“Africans seeking evacuation are our friends and need to have equal opportunities to return to their home countries safely. Ukraine’s government spares no effort to solve the problem,” Kuleba added.

Thousands of foreign students in Ukraine -- from Africa, Asia and the Middle East -- have been stopped from leaving the country by its border guards.

The students alleged racist treatment by both the border guards and ordinary Ukrainians. One of the students revealed that the soldiers and security guards prevented him from leaving after he reached the checkpoint at Shegyni, at the border with Poland.

"They told me 'You're going to stay here, you're fleeing the war, stay here; you are going to fight with us -- you're not leaving, least of all you blacks'," a student said.

Ukraine's border service has previously denied there had been any difficulties.

"Nobody has been prevented from leaving Ukraine," they told AFP, affirming that they had received no complaints.