It’s been a few weeks since Russian forces entered Ukraine. Since then, internal displacement has been growing and millions of people have been leaving the country as refugees, a huge proportion of them fleeing to neighboring countries such as Poland, Romania, and Hungary. The war shows no sign of slowing down and the number of people fleeing is increasing by the day. However, the journey away from war is proving to be tougher for Black, Brown, and Asian people as, even at a time of crisis, racism doesn’t seem to take a day off.

There are numerous reports from Ukraine showing the discrimination faced by African and Asian expats in their attempt to flee to safety in neighboring countries. Videos have surfaced showing these expats, predominantly international students, being forced off of public transport in favor of Ukrainian citizens and other European nationals. These students found it particularly hard to get to safety, with some having to walk for days to reach the borders only to be greeted with rejections and, in worse cases, physical mistreatment and verbal abuse. Sadly, a huge number of these internationals have had to go through lack of food, water, and basic shelter from the cold weather. The African Union condemned these actions and reminded that all people regardless of their nationality should be able to cross international borders in times of conflict.

The war also exposed some subtle and not-so-subtle racism in the reports from major news outlets. Journalists and politicians were quick to denounce Russia’s actions in Ukraine, but some did not stop there — they  went as far to express their surprise, outrage, and disgust towards the fact that war, death, and human suffering, which, according to them, is “reserved” for the Third World, was happening in Europe. Ukrainian refugees are constantly compared with refugees from the rest of the world, especially from war-torn regions like Syria and Yemen. Unrefrained,  unnecessary, and, frankly, uncalled for comments such as “This is not Iraq or Afghanistan. This is a relatively civilized, relatively European city,” or “They seem like us. That is what makes it so shocking. Ukraine is a European country. Its people watch Netflix and have Instagram accounts” were used by reporters to describe the crisis in Ukraine. These reports advance the notion that refugees from Ukraine are somehow “superior” or more important than other refugees across the world. It gives off the impression that the refugees who are not “relatively civilized and European”, although they too are fleeing from life-threatening conditions, are not as worthy of global spotlight and support.

The sporting world has also had its say on the matter. FIFA, the world’s largest sporting body, and UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, have always promoted a neutral stance when it comes to expressing political ideas on the pitch. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, has prompted them to hold back on their stances of neutrality and condemn Russia’s actions, following the global outrage in support of Ukrainians. They have gone as far as to suspend Russian teams from playing in international football competitions indefinitely, which means that Russia will likely miss the World Cup play-offs. Football clubs all across Europe have followed suit to spread awareness about what is happening in Ukraine, taking full advantage of the sport’s popularity and global appeal. While this might aid in forcing Russia to consider a peaceful resolution of the conflict, it also sends a reminder of the occasions other players have been fined and cautioned for expressing political thoughts before. It begs the question: what standards should be used in deciding when to speak up on injustice and oppression and whether these standards are themselves just or oppressive?