By Jemmy Freitas Soares
Not everyone is getting the help they need to flee Ukraine since the Russians invaded last month. Race is playing a huge part on how people have been treated during ongoing crisis.
Hundreds of Nigerian students are left stranded in Ukraine or other neighbouring countries such as France of Hungary, where they are treated as “third-country” citizens and given 30 days to leave.
The students have no one that can help them because they do not have a Ukrainian passport, so schemes like Homes for Ukraine, which provides accommodation for Ukrainian citizens in the UK, is not available to them.
How unfair is a system where white Ukrainians are being welcomed in people’s houses but people of colour are not?
Ignored by UK government
A lot of Nigerian refugees have family in the U.K but they feel they are being ignored by the British government.
“As a Nigerian who is born in the U.K., I feel very sad and embarrassed that the government cannot help other students that need helping,” said Alex Ojo, a 24-year-old fashion student at Central St Martins.
“They are trying with the family to do anything they can to be in contacts with other Nigerian. In that way we still can make a difference in someone’s situation.”
Some critics say that the U.K. response to the Ukraine crisis leaves some question marks on how Black people fleeing the conflict are viewed, as African migrants rather than Ukraine refugees. Historically, Black people that are fleeing war and terror do not get the same treatments as others.
“This situation has us worried about our people. As a community we are trying to contact these stranded people and trying to help them finding a place to stay,” said Jabeer Uwanda 45, who works in the Nigerian U.K embassy.
Everyone has the right in this world to be treated like a human because at the end of the day, everyone wants a better life. We hear thousands of stories about white families who live in Ukraine, but little about other people.
Mutende Oluwa, 36-year-old sales consultant in Selfridges said: “My heart goes out to my Nigerians; they must feel alone and sad with feelings of hatred towards the world.
“They must feel powerless where they cannot go anywhere. May the gods protect them all for the journey to a better home.”
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