Ukrainian Refugees: 5 Important Summer Stories
This article was written by Sohrab Saljooki, Hello Neighbor Network’s 2022 summer intern. Sohrab is a rising senior studying History and Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
The Russian Invasion of Ukraine has quickly become one of the most impactful events of the 21st century. Bombs, guns, and tanks have ravaged a landscape that was once home to millions of people: people that have now been forced to flee to escape violence, resulting in a refugee crisis that rivals World War II in pure scale.
According to the UNHCR, over 11 million people have crossed the Ukrainian border since February, a number that continues to grow to this day as warfare refuses to slow down. Western nations, including the United States, have taken swift action to support refugees from Ukraine which raises two questions: how are they helping Ukrainians, and is it enough?
On behalf of the Hello Neighbor Network, I am sharing some of the most important policy developments, data analyses, and stories about the Ukrainian refugee crisis that you may have missed this summer including:
- 100,000 Ukrainian refugees resettled in the United States
- Afghan and Ukrainian refugees being treated differently
- Millions of refugees return to Ukraine
- Roma refugees from Ukraine experience serious discrimination
- American sponsors of Ukrainian refugees targeted with scams
Washington Post: The U.S. has admitted 100,000 Ukrainian migrants. It must keep going.
On March 24, 2022, just one month after the invasion began, The Biden Administration announced a substantial commitment: the United States will resettle 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. In late July, the administration announced that it had reached its goal in just 4 months.
This number is by many means very impressive. The United States is an entire ocean away from the conflict, and still accomplished its goal. Nonetheless, perspective is important. 100,000 refugees is, at the time of the announcement, less than 1 percent of the total displaced Ukrainian population. According to Washington Post:
“Many of the United States’ closest allies have shouldered a greater refugee burden since the war started in February …. Even the smallest NATO members — Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, each with a population of fewer than 3 million — have accepted tens of thousands.”
While we should take the time to celebrate this accomplishment as a nation, we should not cap off our commitment. Instead, we should continue to break expectations.
Migration Policy Institute: Welcoming Afghans and Ukrainians to the United States: A Case in Similarities and Contrasts
As Ukrainians and Afghans settle into the United States, refugee and immigration activists have pointed out an unbalanced scale: Ukrainian refugees and Afghan refugees are treated differently.
The Migration Policy Institute put together a report, authored by Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter, on the data behind this phenomenon. Some key policy and data points include:
- “54 percent of Americans supported resettling Afghans and 67 percent supported resettling Ukrainians.”
- “More than 17,000 Ukrainians had been paroled into the United States through Uniting for Ukraine, and 24,000 more had been approved but had not yet arrived — presenting a stark contrast to the 297 Afghans who had been granted humanitarian parole over a much longer timeframe.”
- Afghans who have applied for Humanitarian Parole must be interviewed at a consulate, while Ukrainians applying through Uniting for Ukraine do not.
World Health Organization: Despite ongoing war and lack of access to care, many refugees return to Ukraine
Even as the invasion continues and danger persists for million of people within Ukraine, those that had the opportunity to flee still have aspirations to return home.
Millions have taken on the risk to return home. As over 11 million Ukrainians crossed the border, 4 million made the same trip, but in the other direction.
“A lot of the refugees are women, at around sixty to sixty-five years of age, and they can’t find any work here. They are deciding to go back to Ukraine even if their cities are being bombed. Many of them have left their houses or farms. They have something there, but here they have nothing. Many of them are really stressed.” — Viktoriya Betsal
CNN: ‘You are not a refugee.’ Roma refugees fleeing war in Ukraine say they are suffering discrimination and prejudice
The plight of the Roma in this conflict highlights many important things. Most notably, racism and discrimination between ethnic groups in Europe persist to this day and materially harm millions of people. Prejudice alone can prevent innocent people from accessing necessary resources.
However, there is another important thing to mention: Roma refugees are the victims of an information war. According to CNN reporter Ivana Kottasová:
“Roma refugees from Ukraine are routinely accused of not being Ukrainian; they are segregated in low quality accommodation. According to several NGOs, many are given misleading information about their rights; and issues that are easily solved when faced by others who’ve fled Ukraine — such as missing passport stamps — are often used as a reason for them to be turned away.”
This is a stark reminder that in the information age, it is much easier to spread disinformation to purposefully hurt others, and refugee crises such as the one in Ukraine are a breeding ground for discrimination and disinformation.
CNN: Scammers are targeting sponsors who are trying to help Ukrainians reach the US
While refugees are being targeted with misleading information, those who are doing what they can to provide support are facing similar challenges. Americans who pledged support for Uniting for Ukraine are being targeted with scammers posing as USCIS.
This is key, because even those that want to provide assistance and resources of their own for those who have lost so much are hitting roadblocks. Scams like this can very seriously turn people away from volunteering their aid in times where support is so necessary.
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