EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Black & Asian News, European Edition!
If you scroll down, you will find a lot of articles about the current Ukrainian situation. If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that Africans and Asians fleeing Ukraine are subjected to racial discrimination by border guards. The article Europe welcomes Ukrainian refugees — others, less so by the Philadelphia Inquirer encapsulates all the main issues this conflict raises regarding the differential treatment of refugees, war coverage and the use of language by media outlets.
Shashi Tharoor’s article on the rise of mandatory hypernationalism by the Week (India) is also a pertinent read, as it explores the global rise of officially mandated nationalism.
If you have missed the UK Edition, you can find it below in the United Kingdom section.
Keep Well and Stay Safe,
Thushari Perera
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GENERAL EUROPEAN NEWS
Europe welcomes Ukrainian refugees — others, less so, Philadelphia Inquirer, 28 February 2022
“But while the hospitality has been applauded, it has also highlighted stark differences in treatment given to migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa, particularly Syrians who came in 2015. Some of the language from these leaders has been disturbing to them, and deeply hurtful.…Unlike Ukrainians, many non-Europeans need visas to get into neighboring countries. Embassies from around the world were scrambling to assist their citizens struggling to get through chaotic border crossings out of Ukraine.”
Shashi Tharoor on the rise of mandatory hyper-nationalism, The Week, 27 February 2022
“India became illiberal; in the name of authenticity, we risk losing decency.”
Frontex ready to support Member States with Entry-Exit System, Frontex, 18 February 2022
“The EES will change the way Member States will manage the EU external borders to increase external border protections standards. It will centralize and store information on external borders crossings, including the non-EU traveller’s name, travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) and the date, time and place of entry or exit, in full respect of fundamental rights and data protection. “
Anti-racism watchdog: ‘Decolonising’ climate action begins in Europe, TRT, 21 February 2022
“Monday’s report, which addresses the links between climate justice and racism, shows through several case studies how racialised communities are being denied employment, income, a healthy and safe living environment, as well as access to decision-making. It encourages policymakers to address structural inequalities rooted in “neocolonial capitalism” in policies aimed at addressing the climate crisis – such as the European Green Deal – to “decolonise climate action.”” Read the Report here.
DENMARK & SWEEDEN
Danes, Swedes not ready to trigger collective asylum despite war, The EU Observer, 28 February 2022
“Migration ministers from Denmark and Sweden weren’t ready Sunday to trigger, for the first time, an EU procedure offering collective asylum status to large groups of people, in response to refugees reaching the EU from the war in Ukraine.”
GERMANY
Germany honors victims of racist terror attack in Hanau, Yenisafak.com, 20 February 2022
“German interior minister vows to ‘do everything’ to shed light on ‘dreadful event’ in which 9 people were killed.”
MALTA
Commissioner’s report on Malta: high time for reforms to safeguard media freedom and better protect the rights of refugees and women, Council of Europe, 15 February 2022
“The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović has published her report on her visit to Malta in October 2021. It contains recommendations for safeguarding media freedom and ensuring the safety of journalists, protecting the lives and dignity of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and strengthening women’s rights.”
SWITZERLAND
Swiss banking secrecy law clashes with freedom of speech, Swissinfo, 21 February 2022
“Journalists publishing leaked data of Credit Suisse bank clients could face up to five years in prison under Swiss law. Fear of criminal sanctions prevented Swiss media from participating in the “Suisse Secrets” investigation and raised questions over freedom of speech in Switzerland.”
Revealed: Credit Suisse leak unmasks criminals, fraudsters and corrupt politicians, The Guardian, 21 February 2022
“More than 90 countries, most of which are in the developing world, remain in the dark when their wealthy taxpayers hide their money in Swiss accounts…Banks that enable kleptocrats to launder their money are complicit in a particularly far-reaching crime. The consequences for already impoverished populations can be devastating, as state coffers are siphoned, basic standards are eroded and trust in democracy plummets.”
What is the Suisse secrets leak and why are we publishing it? The Guardian, 21 February 2022
“Banking secrecy is an issue of global public interest that can have a profound impact on the world’s poorest…“There were more than 160 reporters from 48 media outlets involved in the Suisse secrets project – but none of them were in Switzerland. Perversely, Swiss citizens wanting to read how the country’s second-largest lender provided services to corrupt leaders and money launderers can do so only via the foreign press.””
UKRAINE
Ukraine: Concerns mount as black people report racism while fleeing war zone, The Independent, 27 February 2022
“This isn’t just happening to black people – even Indians, Arabs and Syrians,” he added, “and that shouldn’t be the case.”
Africans and Asians fleeing Ukraine subjected to racial discrimination by border guards, The Globe and the Mail, 27 February 2022
“Pranab das Gupta, a businessman from Bangladesh who fled Lviv, said that as he and other foreigners approached the Polish border they were pulled aside and told to buy tickets for a bus. Then, after just a few minutes on the bus, they were ordered off the vehicle and instructed to walk to the border control area. Once there, they lined up in a separate section with thousands of other foreigners, while border officials let Ukrainians pass through.”
‘They seem so like us’: In depicting Ukraine’s plight, some in media use offensive comparisons, The Washington Post, 28 February 2022
“Reaching for context in the Russian invasion, correspondents and pundits veer into a troubling tone on race and international status.”
‘No food in markets, no money in ATMs…’ Indian students send SOS from Ukraine, Indy100, 28 February 2022
“Indian students stranded in Ukraine appeal to the External Affairs Ministry to rescue them. “There are bombs going off in cities every 15 minutes, no food in markets, no money in ATMs,” they said in the video appeal to the Indian government.”
Murky plans for Ukraine refugees may soon face test, News To Check, 21 February 2022
“The prospect of war in Ukraine has prompted speculation about the readiness, not to mention the willingness, of the EU to handle a large number of potential refugees heading westwards…Although Poland could create up to 40,000 additional temporary spaces in a matter of days, it is only effectively able to house 3,500 refugees, said Baranowski. Should there actually be initial arrivals of around one million people, they would instead have to rely on help from other EU states and on Poland’s large Ukrainian diaspora, who share cultural and religious affinities with the local population, he said.”
What happens to the 4,000 Nigerians studying in Ukraine?, Quartz Africa, 22 February 2022
“Students from these and more than 150 other countries flock to Ukraine for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Medicine is a particular subject of interest for Nigerians with the Africa-Ukraine academic relationship dating back to soviet times. A crisis would put foreign students’ education in Ukraine in doubt. In the wake of Putin’s latest aggression, India has today (Feb. 22) advised its students to temporarily leave Ukraine. The message from Nigeria has not been as crystal clear.”
Thousands of Indian medical students are still in Ukraine, Quartz India, 22 February 2022
“Nearly a quarter of all foreign students in Ukraine are Indian. There are currently around 18,000 of them—three-quarters of those are in medical school.”
UNITED KINGDOM
Black & Asian News – UK Edition
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