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.
Canada’s temporary protection measures to Ukrainians fleeing the war ensure they’re brought to safety faster. But will this kind of response become the preferred method for all future refugees?
Instead of providing safe and legal routes to protection to people in grave danger, Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced a minor loosening of visa rules.
More than 2 million Ukrainians have fled the country since the Russian invasion. The EU has welcomed the refugees, but research shows that host communities may tire of the newcomers.
Tazreena Sajjad, American University School of International Service
The welcome mat for refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine stands in stark contrast to recent anti-immigrant policies targeting those from the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
The intensifying conflict in the Ukraine has raised the issue of racism not only in Ukraine, but Europe. Three specific and related dimensions of racism are evident in this complex conflict.
Europe’s need to support Ukrainian refugees could inhibit its ability to respond in Ukraine, allowing Vladimir Putin to consolidate his control of the Russian-speaking territories of Ukraine.
We must meaningfully include newcomers and refugees in the formulation of policies that address structural constraints that affect them during times of crisis.
Professor of International Migration and Forced Displacement and Director of the Institute for Research into International Migration and Superdiversity, University of Birmingham