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Thousands Of African Students Trapped In Ukraine

Some are accusing border guards of blocking their escape to safety.

The war waged between Russia and Ukraine has left thousands of African students fearing for their lives, as they desperately seek to escape the ex-Soviet nation.

On Thursday (Feb. 24), Russia’s Ukraine invasion was launched, sending in their troops and firing missiles from three fronts to broadly attack the nation, CNN reports.

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A thread on Twitter with the hashtag #AfricansInUkraine has been circulating since Saturday (Feb. 26). Poland border guards are reportedly rejecting African citizens from leaving Ukraine because of the color of their skin.

There is also footage of Africans being left stranded at the train station.

According to Business Insider, thousands of African students study in Ukraine at affordable prices. As Russia’s military invasion continues, the students are trying to find their way to safe-havens.

The students arrived in the country to study engineering, technical fields, and medicine. Compared to the rest of Europe and the United States, the prices proved affordable.

Korin Sky, 26, told Insider she has escorted hundreds of African students across Ukraine, in hopes of escaping. "I'm very, very afraid," Sky said, the outlet writes. "We're not getting any help from any of the embassies. They have pretty much just said, 'save yourselves.”

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More than 80,000 students study abroad in Ukraine, according to data from Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science. In total, more than 16,000 of those students arrive from Africa. Morocco, Nigeria, and Egypt are in the top ten countries with students based in Ukraine.

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