As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched on February 24, 2022, drove over 500,000 people to flee, African students, including Nigerians, Ghanaians, and Somalis, reported widespread discrimination at the Ukraine-Poland border.
The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and other rapporteurs noted “serious concern” over reports of African students and minorities facing discriminatory treatment, including being denied access to trains and buses or pushed to the back of border queues to prioritize Ukrainian nationals.
A Nigerian presidential advisor, Garba Shehu, condemned incidents where Ukrainian police and security personnel allegedly prevented Nigerians from boarding transport to the border, citing a viral video of a Nigerian mother and baby being forced to give up a bus seat.
Specific Allegations and Experiences
Students like Korrine Sky, a 26-year-old medical student, reported a “Ukrainians first” policy, with African students blocked from buses and trains.
Chineye Mbagwu, a Nigerian doctor, described Ukrainian border guards at Medyka beating Africans with sticks and delaying their crossing for days, while letting Ukrainians pass quickly.
A Kenyan student, Emily, waited five hours to enter Poland, and was later denied hotel accommodation reserved for Ukrainians, even when offering to pay.
In Przemyśl, Poland, non-white refugees faced violence from Polish nationalists, with false social media claims of “migrant crimes” fueling tensions.
Alexander Somto Orah recounted being told “Ukrainians only” on trains, forcing him to trek to the border in freezing conditions.
A Guinean-Sierra Leonean student, after crossing on February 28, reported losing possessions like her tablet and schoolbooks during the chaotic escape.
Official Responses and Denials
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama raised concerns with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who denied discriminatory policies, stating border guards were instructed to allow all foreigners to leave, except Ukrainian men aged 18–60 required for conscription.
Poland’s ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska, refuted claims of Polish discrimination, asserting, “Everybody receives equal treatment,” and noting that Nigerians had crossed into Poland with expired documents accepted and Covid-19 restrictions lifted, though limited to a 15-day stay.
However, the African Union and leaders like Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari condemned the treatment as “shockingly racist,” violating international law.
UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi acknowledged the “ugly reality” of racism against non-Ukrainians, urging equal treatment.
African Governments and UN Action
With over 16,000 African students in Ukraine, including 4,000 Nigerians, countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana sought to evacuate citizens.
Nigeria planned to airlift over 1,000 stranded nationals from neighboring countries.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey claimed 38 of 220 Ghanaians crossed into Poland without issues, though 460 remained en route.
An international coalition filed a UN appeal on March 3, 2022, alleging war crimes and demanding equitable treatment at borders.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination emphasized that states must uphold the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), even in conflict.
Broader Context
The crisis unfolded amid global tensions, including Russia’s nuclear alert on February 27, SWIFT sanctions, and Belarus’ constitutional shift to host Russian nuclear weapons.
Ukraine’s resistance, bolstered by Turkish drones, slowed Russian advances, while the IPCC’s climate report warned of impacts affecting 3.6 billion people.
Posts on X in 2022, including from Nigeria’s Femi Fani-Kayode, decried the “racism and contempt” faced by Africans, amplifying global outrage.
By 2025, X posts reflected ongoing regional issues, like Ghanaian protests blaming Nigerians for insecurity, indicating persistent migration tensions.
The discrimination reports underscored systemic challenges, with African students, drawn to Ukraine’s affordable education, facing unequal treatment in a warzone, prompting calls for accountability from Africa’s UN Security Council members—Kenya, Ghana, and Gabon in 2022.
