The European Union (EU) has dismissed charges of racist discrimination against Africans, particularly Kenyans, during the ongoing evacuation from Ukraine in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion.
The EU said in a joint statement Thursday that its member nations bordering Ukraine have provided free access to all refugees, pointing out that some rare occurrences may be the consequence of border authorities being overburdened by the refugee surge.
“If there were isolated cases where some people did not make it on time or in the right conditions, this is due to the general state of confusion and overload of the authorities, who are trying their best to cope,” EU Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger said during a joint press conference at the Ukrainian embassy in Nairobi.
Concerning Kenya, the EU stated that around 200 Kenyan individuals were stuck in Ukraine as a result of the invasion.
She stated that when there is a significant influx of refugees during a crisis, it is usually difficult to get everyone across the border securely.
The EU member states advised the media and Kenyans to be on the watch for disinformation and to verify any information before distributing it, noting that deliberate disinformation is being circulated in some situations.
They also stated that between February 24 and February 28, approximately 350 000 people entered the Polish-Ukrainian border, including 7, 721 Africans, including 88 Kenyans.
“Slovakia promptly removed the limitations.” Over 4150 migrants from 40 African nations were able to flee the incursion into Slovakia in the last four days. Similarly, Romania and Hungary have exempted third-party nationals from transit visa requirements, and those who still require visas can obtain them at border crossings,” the EU noted.
According to the EU, Romania has assisted a huge number of students, including 3000 Indian students, in passing through without limitations.
Andrii Pravednyk, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Kenya, stated that his government is doing everything possible to guarantee that everyone departs the country securely.
