Europe accused of ‘double standard’ on Ukrainian refugees, African migrants
- IFRC president rebukes what he sees as different treatment of African migrants compared to those from Ukraine
- Since Russia invaded on February 24, more than 6 million people have fled Ukraine, more than half to Poland
The quick acceptance of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s aggression puts a spotlight on Europe’s “double standard” for migrants, standing against its non-welcome for people fleeing violence in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, the head of the world’s largest humanitarian network said.
Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said he doesn’t think “there is any difference” between someone fleeing eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and someone escaping the Boko Haram extremist group in Nigeria.
“Those who are fleeing violence, those who are seeking protection, should be treated equally,” said Rocca, whose organisation operates in more than 192 countries with almost 15 million volunteers.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, he said there is “a moral imperative” to help people escaping violence and upheavals, and “the political, public and humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis has shown what is possible when humanity and dignity comes first, when there is global solidarity”.
“We hoped that the Ukrainian crisis would have been a turning point in the European migration policies,” Rocca said. “But unfortunately, this was not the case.”
He said the 27-member European Union still has different approaches to migration at its eastern border from Ukraine and its southern border on the Mediterranean.