While most people offering support to Ukrainians are well-intentioned, it’s not always the case. There are a reports of women and girls fleeing Ukraine being raped in their new countries.
The European Union is once again faced with the danger of destabilization. Putin’s cyberwar on free societies using the migration crisis went well in 2015. He must not succeed now in Poland or beyond.
The racism seen in the Ukraine refugee crisis reflects a long legacy of how the West defines who is human. We need a new definition that respects the dignity of all humans.
Jay Marlowe, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
New Zealand has opened the borders to up to 4,000 Ukrainians fleeing violence in their home country. Why haven’t we been so welcoming to refugees from other parts of the world?
Wealthy states sort people into hierarchies, keeping ‘unwanted people’ in their regions of origin while facilitating mobility for supposedly ideal migrants.
Ukraine’s history with the former Soviet Union and its current relationship with the European Union inform how refugees move across borders. While race plays a role, citizenship is also an important factor.
Children live through the same wars as adults. The effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on children will have long-lasting effects, and underscores the urgency of a peaceful resolution now.
Professor of International Migration and Forced Displacement and Director of the Institute for Research into International Migration and Superdiversity, University of Birmingham