When Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, hundreds of refugees began pouring into Warsaw central station in Poland every day in search of safety. Most were native Ukrainians, while others were third-country nationals who had built a life in Ukraine. For all those fleeing the devastation, it was a time of terror and uncertainty, but for the latter group, it was particularly perilous.
“From the very beginning of the war, we were getting information about all kinds of abuses that non-Ukrainian [refugees] were facing in Ukraine while trying to get to Poland,” says activist Jarmiła Rybicka. “At the border on both sides, non-Ukrainians were expelled or sent to the back of the queues. They were pushed out from trains and told that there was no space for them. Meanwhile, white Ukrainians escaped.”
