Poland rejects Nigerians, allow other Africans fleeing Ukraine

The Federal Government has expressed concern over an allegation that Poland is refusing to allow Nigerians fleeing Ukraine into the country.

RELIABLESOURCENG.COM reports that the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine had issued an advisory asking Nigerians in troubled Ukraine to take responsibility for their security and safety.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, raised the concern during a meeting with envoys of European Union countries over the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Onyeama said government officials had received emergency calls from Nigerians who are travelling by road, as they flee Ukraine for safety, and a lot of them heading to Poland.

He added that government understood that Polish authorities were singling out Nigerians, specifically, whereas nationals of other African countries were being allowed into Poland.

“And we have had a number of calls, desperate calls and that there are cases of women and pregnant women and so forth,” the minister complained.

READ: Reps intervenes as embassy washes hands off 4,000 Nigerian students in Ukraine

Onyeama disclosed that he had raised the issue with the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska, who assured him to immediately check with the capital and have the situation addressed.

He said, since Nigeria is preparing to host the President and First Lady of Poland, it seemed to the government as an aberration that a situation like that where people are fleeing a global crisis, like what is taking place, should be prevented from getting out to safety.

“So, we hope that also the European Union and others, and if that is indeed the case, will prevail on, not just necessarily Poland, but also any other border country, to please share some sympathy and humanness to refugees fleeing this crisis, be they Nigerians or any other nationality,” Onyeama appealed. The Polish ambassador, who was also at the meeting, in her remarks however said Poland was taking every necessary step to provide succour to those fleeing from Ukraine.