Dear President von der Leyen,
On behalf of ARDI, the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup, we express our
solidarity with all those people who are currently living the horrors of the Russian military aggression.
We support the people in Ukraine and Russia who do not want this war.
However, we are very concerned about the wave of anti-black racism of which Africans are the target.
We note with horror that because of the colour of their skin, some European countries bordering the
Ukraine refuse Africans entry into their countries.
This discrimination, racial profiling, only targets people of “black race,” a visible minority.
Such an attitude shocks the human conscience at a time when the whole world is standing in solidarity
with Ukraine, to learn that Ukrainians refuse African students access to public transport and that these
young persons do not have the possibility to leave Ukraine and join the country of their choice.
According to the “Foundation for Investigative Journalism”, und “Berliner Kurier” a group of Nigerian
students protested on Sunday at the border between Ukraine and Poland after being detained by law
enforcement officers under threat of at gunpoint.
If this is an official measure of the Polish authorities, we do not approve of it and do not understand that
a country of the European Union acts against human rights and our values.
The African Union and most African countries have diplomatic, friendly relations with all European
countries bordering Ukraine, this unfriendly gesture in the aftermath of the EU-AU summit would be in
contradiction with the partnership that we want to establish.
We ask you, as President of the European Commission, to firmly call on European countries bordering
Ukraine to respect the laws on asylum and to welcome the Africans who wish to flee from the war-torn
Ukraine or at least to let them pass to the European country of their choice. It is clear that situation
requires host countries to take into consideration their own interests, but the humanitarian issue should
take precedence.
On behalf of all these people in distress, we ask you to use your influence to ensure that these
discriminatory measures are immediately revoked and that the countries, members of the European
Union, consider all those who are fleeing a country at war equally.
Yours sincerely,
Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana Greens/EFA
Cornelia Ernst The Left
Evin Incir S&D
Monica Semedo RENEW Europe
Mounir Satouri Greens/EFA
Romeo Franz Greens/EFA
Monica Silvana Gonzalez S&D
Samira Rafaela RENEW Europe
Isabel Carvalhais S&D
Dietmar Köster S&D
Saskia Bricmont Greens/EFA
Nikolaj Villumsen The Left
Tiemo Wölken S&D
Anja Hazekamp The Left
Maria Noichl S&D
Francisco Guerreiro Greens/EFA
Margarida Marques S&D
Stelios Kouloglou The Left
Ivan Vilibor Sinčić Fraktionslos
Rasmus Andresen Greens/EFA
Margrete Auken Greens/EFA
Kira Marie Peter-Hansen Greens/EFA
Manuel Bompard The Left
Malin Björk The Left
Katrin Langensiepen Greens/EFA
Mick Wallace The Left
Özlem Demirel The Left
Clare Daly The Left
Eleonora Evi Greens/EFA
Tineke Strik Greens/EFA
Ausra Maldeikiene PPE
Bronis Ropé Greens/EFA
Tilly Metz Greens/EFA
Patrick Breyer Greens/EFA
Charles Goerens RENEW Europe
Younous Omarjee The Left
Brando Benifei S&D
Piernicola Pedicini Greens/EFA
Maria Arena S&D
Robert Biedrón S&D
Attila Ara-Kovács S&D
Soraya Rodríguez Ramos RENEW Europe
Thomas Waitz Greens/EFA
Helmut Scholz The Left
Aurore Lalucq S&D
Marc Johan Botenga The Left
Alexandra Geese Greens/EFA
Terry Reintke Greens/EFA
Marisa Matias The Left
José Gusmão The Left
Janina Ochojska PPE
Rosa D’Amato Greens/EFA
Monika Vana Greens/EFA
Henrike Hahn Greens/EFA
Francois Alfonsi Greens/EFA
Benoit Biteau Greens/EFA
Damien Careme Greens/EFA
David Cormand Greens/EFA
Gwendoline DelbosCorfield Greens/EFA
Karima Delli Greens/EFA
Claude Gruffat Greens/EFA
Yannick Jadot Greens/EFA
Michèle Rivasi Greens/EFA
Caroline Roose Greens/EFA
Marie Toussaint Greens/EFA
Salima Yenbou Greens/EFA
Ernest Urtasun Greens/EFA
Gabriele Bischoff S&D
Michael Bloss Greens/EFA
Luke Ming Flanagan The Left
Abir Al-Sahlani RENEW Europe
Frédérique Ries RENEW Europe
Jan-Christop Oetjen RENEW Europe
Alviina Alametsä Greens/EFA
Manuela Ripa Greens/EFA
Dimitrios Papadimoulis The Left
Fabienne Keller RENEW Europe
Pierre Larrouturou S&D
Chrysoula Zacharopoulou RENEW Europe
Stéphane Bijoux RENEW Europe
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne RENEW Europe
Valérie Hayer RENEW Europe
João Pimenta Lopes The Left
Sandra Pereira The Lef