There’s No Time For “Oh For Crying Out Loud!” Moments During a War

War is stupid and heartless.

Such conflicts punish the wrong people. People like us. Non-combatants who are doing mundane things like picking up a few grocery items, dry-cleaning, or taking our children to the dentist.

With many others of the international community, I share a grave concern, grief, and outrage for all those trapped in armed conflict. But it is indeed a challenge to keep a brave face when there are 26 major ongoing conflicts besides Ukraine in the world. Few things would make me happier than to get all the innocents out of harm’s way to safe zones and for the bombardment to stop.

So, in all honesty, I cannot begin to explain how betrayed and angry I felt when I learned that university students of color, living and studying in Ukraine, were being discriminated against as they too attempted to flee the Russian encroachment.

When it burns in your mouth to repeat the words by first-hand witnesses:

“We are currently at the Ukraine-Poland border. Their police and army refused to let Africans cross, they only allow Ukrainian…We’ve been here for three days. We are dying of cold…and we don’t have where to go. This is unfair! This is unfair! Why point guns at us foreigners?” — Alex

“They consider white people before considering black people.” — Ethel

“It seems like a hierarchy of Ukrainians first, Indians second, Africans last” — Korrine

There have been similar reports of discrimination from Indian and Middle Eastern university students as well that are equally enraging and deplorable.

Women, children, the elderly, the injured, and infirmed are a reasonable priority in any evacuation or mass departure and should be so irrespective of race, color, creed, or religion.

The accounts given of unfair and discriminatory treatment for black and brown people attempting to escape from the war leaves a bitter taste in an already unpalatable situation. It hits home even more so, to know that a substantial majority were foreign students, of which Ukraine has over 76,000. Many attend universities there as a less expensive alternative to western institutions and contribute significantly to the Ukrainian economy to the annual tune of $542 million (USD.)

Living without family in a foreign country takes tremendous resolve, perseverance, and adaptability. It is not easy navigating successfully through a different culture and climate. Missing your friends and family takes on a whole new meaning when they’re not just down the road anymore.

Ask me how I know.

To be on a collision course for a warzone whilst away from home must be an ultimate terror experience. To be told that you cannot leave to get out of harm’s way must be traumatizing and needs to be seen for what it is. A potential death sentence. Whether through hypothermia, lack of food or water, or military incursion. It is cruel and inhumane. Some of the comments regarding this issue on social media have been poor attempts at justification of this treatment.

“Deal with your own problems.”—T.K.A

“It’s a time of war. Africans had the chance of return to their countries…Now Ukraine must evacuate its own citizens first and foremost.” —Virginia

“Seethe and cope.” — Arnold

Perhaps those commenting had the benefit of unlimited resources whilst undertaking higher education studies and consider it a no-brainer to jump aboard the family yacht or charter a plane to the destination of their choice without so much as a 'hoo-ha' about who foots the bill.

In addition, they would have no faith whatsoever in the institution with which they entered a contractual agreement for education, inclusive of said institution ensuring their safety and protection whilst in a foreign country according to university policies and procedures as regards the duty of care for students.

Or these comments could have come from persons who never attended university, yet possess infinite omniscience of the transportation networks, topography, resources, as well as up-to-the-minute developments in another country that unfold for guaranteed safe and secure evacuation routes before and during a bombardment.

In Ukrainian cities, students were not simply second, third, or last in any hierarchy. Many were left (as in abandoned) at which time there remained opportunities to evacuate the majority whilst the transportation and electrical grid were still operational. This divisive restriction from Ukrainian law enforcement officials was not only experienced by students of color but according to an eyewitness account, also a black Ukrainian resident with marital and family ties to the country.

Pet cages were given priority of seating on public transport above people of color.

This understandably stirred masses of malcontents (and not just in Ukraine.)

GLOBAlink/ MEP blasts EU for adopting double standards on Russia-Ukraine conflict

What herculean effort does it take to allow a civilian escaping war to walk through a checkpoint? Isn’t it a no-brainer to allow public transport that has the capacity, to receive passengers running away from actual mortal combat? To give the same safe haven to someone that you would want to have for yourself and your family in a time of war?

According to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which is tied to the Geneva Convention Treaties, no distinction is made regarding civilians fleeing war based on nationality, race, gender, religion, or university status. It begs incredulity that this would require explanation. The objective of IHL is to decrease the negative impact of war. The protection of civilians is as irreversibly impactful as it gets. It does not matter what type of civilians, or if they missed an invisible starting line for a war to begin.

The common experience expressed by students denied border crossing, was that their departure from the country was prevented by the Ukrainian military and/or law enforcement officials, while Ukrainians were allowed through without hindrance.

What purpose is served by denying numerous students, legally residing in a country, the right of survival by leaving said country due to an active military engagement?

To add insult to injury, news coverage of the war by some major networks gave a few reporters and interviewees an international stage to air their implicit/explicit bias and racism as Europeans fleeing war were depicted in a different category of refugee status than those from the Middle East, Africa, or Asia.

A person(s) running from bullets, missiles, bombs, airstrikes, torture, etc. has fear of their life the same as anyone would expect under such circumstances. This fear cannot be categorized by any protected characteristic (e.g. race, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, etc.)

To be emphatically clear: Ukrainians deserve and need all the support that the international community can provide. They require the assistance that comes with refugee status, open borders and the ability to egress wherever they can do so. Attention to the conflict needs to be highlighted on the global stage. But the same must be the case of ALL refugees fleeing conflict, translating into equal treatment for Syrians, Libyans, Yemenis, Somalis, and all other affected nationalities. Self-preservation is a hardwired human instinct whether in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, or anywhere else in the world. It doesn’t care about externals.

Students have died in this Russian-Ukrainian war. Many remain trapped in this war in fear of their lives. If we, as a global community, cannot be the unyielding voice advocating for their safe passage out, providing practical assistance to them and all others in dire need of refuge amidst deadly conflicts, then who else can?

Thank you for taking the time to read this story.

Please do whatever you can to help all refugees requiring assistance.

Oneness.