Every generation must renew the struggle against racism and fascism

War can reveal the best as well as the worst sides of human nature, and Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is proving no exception.

The world has witnessed medieval barbarism of the Russian armed forces, but also the heroism of the people of Ukraine, and the generosity of many others around the world offering support and sanctuary – especially in neighbouring nations such as Poland.

Yet one sad aspect of the evacuation of innocents from Ukrainian cities has been the blatant and violent racism displayed by some towards black and Asian refugees. It is especially poignant and ironic because Ukraine is resisting Russian fascism, and doing so against bogus Russian claims that democratic Ukraine is being run by a neo-Nazi cabal.

Documented incidents show that the prejudice is all too real. The individual circumstances of any given refugee – whether they are, say, a student or a worker, a Ukrainian national or not, male or female – are not taken into account. The colour of a person’s skin is what matters when they are refused access to trains and then stopped from crossing international borders to reach sanctuary.

Now, in Poland, there are reports of so-called Polish nationalists attacking people of colour simply for being there. They are following a familiar narrative – fired up by false accusations about crime, xenophobia, and simply looking for someone to blame, in the absence of any Russian soldiers to aim at. Indian students are being beaten up by thugs, while they are being bombed, and one killed, in Ukraine for the crime of pursuing their studies. They are told “go back to your country”, when that is precisely why they are at the train station.

In fact, it is the asylum seekers who are being targeted by criminals. Refugees are being targeted by people smugglers offering transport across the border for extortionate prices – which they are in no position to pay, even if the trade was lawful. Disturbingly, the refugees say they have witnessed charity volunteers colluding with Ukraine immigration officials to prioritise the entry of those who are willing to pay a fee to flee the country at border points.

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The exploitation and hostility is all too reminiscent of when Poland, for example, put up razor wire against Syrian refugees crossing from Belarus last year, even though their plight was being exploited by the dictator of Belarus, President Lukashenko, in order to destabilise Poland.

For the third time in little more than a century, a war is being fought for territory and power, and in the usual merciless fashion. The bombing of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial in Kyiv is another painful reminder that, as Volodymyr Zelensky said, “never again” is not enough. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, agreed: “Africans seeking evacuation are our friends and need to have equal opportunities to return to their home countries safely.

“Ukraine’s government spares no effort to solve the problem. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected Ukrainians and non-citizens in many devastating ways.”

It is a message that needs to cut through, especially in these circumstances when people are having guns put to their heads in the chaos. Every generation has to renew the struggle against racism and fascism, however and in whatever garb they show themselves and whatever language they speak.