Germany slams reports of racism against non-Europeans fleeing Ukraine

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Wednesday expressed shock over reports that non-Europeans fleeing Ukraine in the wake of its war with Russia are witnessing racism and discrimination.

"We strongly condemn” these reports, if they prove to be true, Foreign Ministry deputy spokeswoman Andrea Sasse said during a regular press briefing in Berlin.

“These reports, if true, are appalling and such behavior is totally unacceptable to us,” she added.

Numerous African, Asian, and Caribbean citizens leaving Ukraine have reportedly been facing discrimination by security officials and other people trying in vain to cross the border into Poland.

Many are students who were studying in Ukraine.

On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi also spoke about the reports of discrimination against non-Ukrainian or non-European refugees at some entry points and people's reference to them using discriminatory or racist terminology.

He quoted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as saying "there should be absolutely no discrimination between Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians, Europeans and non-Europeans," as all are at risk.

Leaders from the African Union Commission had stated on Monday that they are closely monitoring developments in Ukraine and are disturbed by reports that Africans on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross to safety.

Reports had emerged that refugees from countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania and Afghanistan who tried to enter Poland from Ukraine faced being sent back.

The Polish prime minister's office said such accusations were "misinformation" and that refugees from Ukraine were being admitted to Poland regardless of their nationality.

The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) had also called on news outlets to be mindful of implicit and explicit bias in their war coverage of Ukraine.

It said it had tracked racist news coverage that ascribed more importance to some war victims than others in recent days.

It quoted a February 26 CBS News segment in which correspondent Charlie D'Agata commented: "But this isn't a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively civilized, relatively European — I have to choose those words carefully, too — city, one where you wouldn't expect that or hope that it's going to happen."