It is alleged that non-white refugees from Ukraine continue to face discrimination.
As Ukrainians flee Europe amid an attack by Russia on Ukraine, non-white refugees face discrimination from extremist groups patrolling the border, reporters and residents in the area told ABC News.
On March 1, dozens of self-identified right-wing nationalists looted the center of Przemyśl, Poland, and harassed refugees who looked like people of color, witnesses said. Many white refugees have arrived in the city while evacuating Ukraine.
As this humanitarian crisis continues, many fear that extremism will continue to cause problems for black refugees trying to escape the war.
More than 836,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since Russian forces invaded the Eastern European country on February 24, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
At least 453,000 of these refugees fled to Poland by March 2nd, UNHCR said.
Near Przemyśl railway station on Tuesday, where thousands of refugees are passing, anyone who looked like an African or an Arab was targeted by extremists in the attack, witnesses said.
Julian Würzer, a reporter for the German-based Berliner Morgenpost, told ABC News that the extremists were shouting aggressively at the refugees to leave the country and allegedly attacked them.
Online videos seen by ABC News show police in riot gear spreading the incident, which Wurzer said lasted about 20 minutes before police arrived.
No casualties were reported.
Local authorities did not immediately respond to ABC News’s requests for comment on the incidents.
However, these extremists are a minority in the country. Locals have made great efforts to help those fleeing across the Polish-Ukrainian border. ABC News reporters on the ground say volunteers from across the region have offered to accommodate, feed and clothe the many refugees.
Witnesses at the border told ABC News that the extremists reportedly accepted Ukrainians but promised to “defend” Poland against the influx of non-Christians. Some believe that these extremists are supported by Russia.
In recent years, the Polish government has adhered to right-wing ideals and has been criticized for its anti-refugee sentiment. Last year, Poland refused to allow thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the country after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko forcibly expelled them from his country.
UNCHR Commissioner Filippo Grandi confirmed that there had been cases of discrimination in the reception of some refugees from Ukraine. Some third-country nationals say they have been blocked or rejected in an attempt to escape, he said.
Grandi said that state policies do not cause discrimination and that “there should be absolutely no discrimination between Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians, Europeans and non-Europeans.”
“Everyone is running away from the same risks,” Grandi told a news conference on March 1st. “We will continue to intervene, as we have done several times, to try to ensure that everyone is accepted in the same way.
Tomek Rolski and Christopher Donato of ABC News contributed to this report.