Echoes of Colour Discrimination in Refugee Protection Regime: The Experience of Africans Fleeing the Russia-Ukrainian War

Abstract

After 71 years of commitment to the principles of the Refugee Convention and an obligation to protection; the international system faces challenges as socio-political, economic and security concerns become alibis that betray fidelity to the treaty and are manifest in discrimination and expulsions of asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees. Our paper examines this collapse and highlights themes of covert colour politics and discrimination vis-a-vis the Russia-Ukrainian war. Our methodology combines interviews, narratives and critical analyses as we document the ugly experiences of Africans fleeing the war zone and the denials of protection they face based on their skin colour. Our discussion raises concerns that cannot be ignored as conflicts escalate globally. Rather than embracing the hardline hostility confronting migrants and refugees, we argue for a reappraisal of the movers and their status not as a migration problem to be solved but as victims of a faulty international system that deserve attention.