Foreign students in Ukraine allegedly face racism at border

Foreign students attempting to leave Ukraine are allegedly given racist treatment by Ukrainian security forces and border officials. An African medical student said in an interview that she and other foreigners were ordered to step down from a public transit bus at a checkpoint between Ukraine and Poland border while leaving only Ukrainian nationals on board. Around 10 more buses came to take all the Ukrainians while leaving the students stranded at the border town of Sheyni. They were eventually told that there are no more buses and were just told to walk. An Indian medical student also shared in a phone call interview that there are three checkposts they needed to go through to get to the border and they only allow 30 Indians only after 500 Ukrainians get in. Getting to this border requires a 4 to 5-kilometer walk from the first checkpoint to the second one for the other nationalities while Ukrainians are given buses and taxis to travel. The medical student also disclosed the alleged violent acts of guards at the Ukrainian side of the Shehyni-Medyka border towards Indian men and boys including beating them up for no reason after allowing the Indian girls to get in the gates. Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are no longer allowed to leave the country but the decree does not include foreign national men. Andruy Demchenko, spokesman for the Border Guard Service of Ukraine denied the said segregation at the border allegations, stating that the guards at the borders are working under enormous pressure but are also working under the law. Demchenko assured that the government has simplified the border crossing procedures as much as possible and long queues are inevitable with the increase of volume of the individuals crossing. “However, I can state that everything happens according to the law. There is absolutely no division by nation, citizenship, or class at the border,” Demchenko said. Several Africans have also been sharing their experience online with the hashtag #AfricansinUkraine which led to a launch of crowdfunding appeals to aid those stranded in the country. In a UNSC meeting in New York City, African nations on the UN Security Council condemned discrimination against African citizens at the Ukrainian border along with the urge of Kenyan Ambassador to the UN Martin Kimani to cease the mistreatment of the people which is “damaging to the spirit of solidarity that is so urgently needed today.” KSO/Expat Media
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