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What happened to the students of African origin who had fled the war in Ukraine and had taken refuge in France at the beginning of March? Arrived almost at the same time as the Ukrainians, they did not benefit from the temporary protection accompanied by generous and renewable social assistance “by right” given to other refugees.
the emergency device triggered by the European Union on March 4 effectively excluded “Third-country nationals able to return to their country of origin in safe and sustainable conditions”. On the French side, the Ministry of the Interior left it to the discretion of the prefects to examine individual “the right of residence of these persons”. A vagueness that had immediately worried refugee aid organizations.
A month and a half later, confusion reigns. According to the testimonies collected by The world, many young people have obtained a temporary residence permit (APS) for 30 days. But some were told that this APS was not renewable, while others learned that it could be, provided they came back with proof of university registration… A difficult file to complete if little time when everything is missing: identity papers, transcripts and proof of follow-up of a Ukrainian course. A few even had their passports confiscated when passing through Germany.
“Need clarification”
The feeling of being on borrowed time and the fear are so strong that none of them want to be cited under their true identity, fearing consequences for the rest of their career, some even now refuse to speak. “When the bombs fall, they don’t care if you are Ukrainian or Ivorian. We all fled the war. says Christian*, a Cameroonian from Mariupol barely 20 years old who still does not understand that Europe has decided to make a selection between the refugees. “We are not delinquents, we left with proper papers and a student visa. The war has plunged us into a dramatic and impossible situation,” says Abel*, a 26-year-old Ivorian who fled Kharkiv.
Most of these young Africans arrived in France after a difficult journey across Europe, sometimes marred by discrimination and racist acts, especially on the border between Ukraine and Poland. “We must not underestimate the shock they have suffered, some do not even dare to declare themselves”underlines Mathieu Schneider, president of the Network Migrants in higher education (MEnS) and vice-president of the University of Strasbourg in charge of solidarity.
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