EU’s policy towards refugees from Ukraine exposes its double standards

The EU's approach to refugees is deeply ingrained in racial discrimination, notwithstanding its preparedness to receive Ukrainian nationals, fleeing in the wake of  Russian invasion, writes RAUSHAN TARA JASWAL

——–

"No one leaves  home, unless home is  the mouth of a shark." -British poet, Warsan Shire
AS we enter the second week of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, even with the proposed ceasefire from the Russian Federation for a "humanitarian corridor", a "quick war" seems completely out of the question. Intensifying this situation has been the plight of civilians stuck between the cross-fire. While it is mandated under various international law covenants that civilians and non-combatants cannot be hurt in any armed conflict – whether internal or external, civilian casualties have increased manifold in this unjustified aggression. 

With Russian armed forces refusing to respect the basic tenant of the law of war and humanitarian law, civilians have been forced to seek refuge in various neighbouring nations like Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Ireland, and other European Union (EU) member nations. Continuous airstrikes, cities across Ukraine being captured by the Russian armed forces, shelling, potential nuclear catastrophe, with no end in sight has rendered Ukraine an active war state with unliveable conditions. As a measure of last resort, people from Ukraine have had to flee their homes amid an ongoing war.