Ukraine: Why so many African and Indian students were in the country

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a mass exodus of civilians, including thousands of international students from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Ukraine was home to more than 76,000 foreign students, according to government data from 2020.

Nearly a quarter of the students came from Africa, with the majority coming from Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt.

India easily represents the highest portion with over 20,000 students.

The students, who study medicine, engineering and business, are an important part of the country’s economy.

But as Russia launches the biggest European invasion since World War II, thousands of them have fled, hundreds remain trapped, and many remain unsure of the fate of their education.

Ukraine has long attracted foreign students, dating back to the Soviet era, when there was a huge investment in higher education and a deliberate attempt to attract students from newly independent African countries.

Now, Ukrainian universities are seen as a gateway to the European labor market, offering courses at affordable prices, easy visa terms and the possibility of permanent residence.

“Ukrainian degrees are widely recognized and offer a high level of education,” said Patrick Esugunum, who works for an organization that helps West African students who want to study in Ukraine.

“Many medical students, in particular, want to go there because they have a good level of medical facilities,” he added.

Desmond Chinaza Muokwudo, a Nigerian student who had settled in the city of Dnipro, said he was attracted by the relaxed admission requirements and low cost of living compared to other European cities.

He enrolled in the University of Customs and Finance less than three months ago.

Many courses are offered in English, but the 30-year-old was taking a preliminary course in the Ukrainian language before moving on to study international relations.

“I was a welder in Nigeria and I needed education to achieve things,” he told the BBC from a hostel in Poland after fleeing the conflict.

“Ukraine was the best option for me.”

Like Muokwudo, more than 10,000 African students have managed to flee the conflict and enter neighboring countries, according to the EU.

There have been reports of foreign students receiving racist treatment at the border, with social media images showing Ukrainian officials preventing some from crossing.

It is believed that there are still hundreds of students in Ukraine, but exact figures are difficult to confirm.

An Indian student was killed when he ventured out to buy some food.

Some students told the BBC 1Xtra podcast If You Don’t Know that their universities refused to move their classes online before the invasion despite repeated requests to do so.

“The university ignored our pleas and concerns for more than a month,” said Mary, a Nigerian medical student in her final year studying in northeastern Ukraine.

He said they had begged the university to let them leave, but added that students were told they would be fined if they missed their classes, which is standard policy at some Ukrainian universities, so “we had no choice.” . .

Mary is now stranded in Sumy, near the Russian border, a city that has been the target of sustained attacks.

“We didn’t come to Ukraine for all this, we came to study and then home.”

She said that she and her friends were now running out of food and that going out to get supplies was not safe due to the constant shelling.

Mary’s College admitted it did not believe Russia would actually attack, but denied sanctioning students who decided to leave the country before the invasion. She moved classes online for all students the day before Russian forces entered Ukraine.

Christophe, a 22-year-old student from Cameroon, spoke to the BBC from inside a basement in the southern city of Kherson, which was taken over by Russian forces.

“We’re not going out because we’re scared.”

He said that he and more than 20 fellow students had spent the last week in a basement without light, listening to the sound of shelling and gunshots.

“It’s like a dead city, there’s no one outside.”

He said he hadn’t seen any signs of Africans being harassed during the conflict, but thought it would be wise to stay inside.

“It’s the safest thing we can do right now, we don’t want to put ourselves in harm’s way.”

The international business student was a one-year graduate from Kherson National Technical University when the fighting began.

“It’s hard to imagine finishing your studies in this kind of environment,” he said.

In another part of the city, Mamady Doumbouya, a computer science student from Guinea, said: “I want to go back to my country, we can’t study in the war.”

He spoke to the BBC from inside a dark basement surrounded by his classmates from Gabon, Senegal and Cameroon.

“We don’t have water, we don’t have electricity,” he said.

Ukraine stopped all civilian flights when the invasion began on February 24.

African governments have made efforts to evacuate their citizens from the country, with some organizing flights home for those who cross the border.

Ghana was the first African nation to welcome home a group of students on Tuesday.

Speaking to the BBC after landing in the capital Accra, student Jared Otumfuo Catey said: “A few days ago, I didn’t know I would be here now. I feel grateful that I made it and so do I.” I am safe”.

Nigeria said it would follow suit and offer flights for those wishing to return via Romania, Hungary and Poland.

South Africa’s ambassador to Ukraine told the BBC that he had to leave Ukraine for his own safety, but had been working hard to secure the exit of South Africans and other foreigners from the country.

South African ambassadors to both Poland and Hungary have also gone to the borders to help people get through, he said.

The Ukrainian government has launched an emergency hotline for fleeing Africans and Asians, according to the foreign minister.

in a cheepDmytro Kuleba said authorities were “working intensively” to ensure the safety and passage of African and Asian students.

Having invested heavily in education in Ukraine, many students told the BBC they are torn between returning home or staying in Europe to complete their studies.

Jessica Orakpo, a sixth-year medical student at Ternopil National Medical University, was four months away from graduating when Russian troops invaded.

“I’m stuck now, I can’t go on with my education because my school has all my documents,” she told the BBC on her way to the Hungarian capital, Budapest.

“I don’t have time to start over and I just want my degree. Maybe I can finish my masters somewhere else.”

Hungary and Ghana have announced that some students who had fled Ukraine will be able to complete their studies at Hungarian universities. They will provide space and resources and students will pay the same fees as in Ukraine.

But it is not clear how many of the African and Asian students will be covered by this agreement.

Muokwudo, who is now in Poland, said he would try to finish his course elsewhere in Europe if all else fails.

“I’m going to stay here and see if the situation improves,” he said.

“Going back to Nigeria is not an option.”