Since the initial Russian offensive on neighboring Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of civilians have flocked to border crossings to escape the violence and seek refuge, among them is a large African diaspora that has been living in the country.
Soon after the announcements of refugee reception by multiple Ukraine-bordering countries, reports and complaints have emerged against one particular crossing, that of the Polish border.
Multiple People Of Color (POC), including Moroccans, have reported being “denied at the Polish border,” despite their refugee status, valid visas, and proper required documentation.
Soufiane Choubani, a Moroccan who has been residing and working in Ukraine for over a year told Hespress EN in an interview that “Africans were denied at the Polish border while European, white citizens were easily let through.”
Soufiane’s 72-hour attempt to flee Ukraine has left him with severe ailments, for which he had to receive urgent medical care, in addition to significant psychological damage.
The young Moroccan man was in Kyiv at the time of the Russian attack, back on February 24, and decided to drive back to Lviv, where he has lived for a year and a half, before heading to the nearest border crossing, linking Ukrainian city Shehyni to Polish village Medaka.
Soufiane decided to cross to Poland, considering it is the closest crossing from Lviv, a mere 77 kilometers by car.
As he didn’t have a car, Soufiane paid for a USD 300 cab ride from Lviv, where he was dropped off 20 kilometers away from the border crossing as the taxi driver wanted “to avoid the traffic.”
The young man walked “for hours, carrying luggage and resisting the harsh conditions” along with an American friend, but “immediately noticed things were a bit suspicious at the border crossing.”
“When I got there, they asked me to get in line, which I did, for 4 hours,” says Soufiane, only for border patrol officers to tell him that he was “at the wrong line,” and he had to go and wait on a different line for men.
Soufiane queued on the second line for an additional 9 hours, full of men, women, and children with different nationalities.
Despite having a guaranteed job in Poland and a letter from his employer to prove it, Soufiane was once again denied entry when his turn came while in line, and was told “we only let women and children in,” although he’s seen European men cross to Poland.
Soufiane was physically hurt during a stampede that occurred on the crossing as multiple POC expats required authorities to let them through and stop the discrimination, he needed 2 full days to recover from the experience.
In order to get to Poland, the refugees have 3 options, either drive through the border, pass on foot through the crossing or board a bus that will make the short trip between both countries. Our source told us that “the bus was immediately denied to all non-white expats, as authorities said the rides were exclusive to women and children, but African women were still not allowed onboard.”
Since then, many Moroccans residing in Poland have shared incremental advice with the Moroccan diaspora in Ukraine, asking them to “avoid the Medyka crossing and opt for the Korczowa crossing instead,” as Moroccan and other African refugees are reportedly allowed into Poland through there.
Some Moroccans in Poland are also driving to the crossings along the Ukrainian border, to “help the incoming Moroccans with directions, food, and shelter.”
Aside from the difficulties some Moroccans are facing at the border crossings, trains and buses transporting passengers from Ukrainian cities to border towns “are denying rides to POC expats, prioritizing both Ukrainian and European nationals,” according to Hespress EN sources.
A video of a young Moroccan man forcibly allowing African expats into a border-crossing bus has gone viral, after “days of standing in long queues clearly amounted to no progress.”
The Polish border seems to be the most problematic for Africans and Moroccans, as many have successfully entered Moldova, Romania, and Hungary.
As of this time, Soufiane is headed to the Leviev train station in hopes to travel to a town bordering Moldova, but his fate remains “uncertain,” as he’s experienced the fatal discrimination rampant in the ways authorities are dealing with refugees, which is a true hinderence even aboard the limited transportation means available.
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