SEATTLE — The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine has struck a chord worldwide.
Coordinated efforts to provide aid and support to fleeing Ukrainian refugees went into effect almost immediately. It’s an outpouring of needed support, but also raises the question: why aren’t all war refugees treated this way?
Serena Parekh, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston, studies global responses to refugees. She said watching the response in Ukraine highlights key differences in the way some people are treated.
“What is very different and new about this crisis is the tremendous amount of sympathy and solidarity Western countries have expressed, which we have not seen with Middle Eastern refugees,” Parekh said.
Parekh studies ethics and the global refugee crisis.
“There are widespread documented reports of [Afghan] refugees being pepper-sprayed, beaten," said Parekh. "And to be clear, this isn't in the past. This is happening at the same time that Poland is welcoming refugees from Ukraine."
Countries across Europe have streamlined the admission process for Ukrainians. The European Union announced it would offer temporary protected status to Ukrainian refugees, which gives them access to residence permits, education and jobs.
Compare this to other refugee groups from places like Syria. Since 2015, more than 1 million Syrians have sought refuge in Europe. For them, the process to get those types of services can take years and leave many lingering in refugee camps.
Parekh pointed out it’s common for people to respond to those who look and sound like themselves.
"I've heard people say, 'well, of course, they're, you know, they're Christians coming into Christian Europe, and we should take care of people who are like us and people from Muslim countries should take care of them.' But that's not how the Refugee Convention was meant to apply," said Parekh. "It was meant to give rights to all refugees, one of which is the right to seek and enjoy asylum and to be treated with basic dignity while you are applying for refugee status."
The 1951 Refugee Convention was created by the United Nations to establish the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
The double standard of treatment is being noticed by activists and other groups.
“The point of bringing up race is to think about how we can do better for other refugees and other situations," said Parekh. "It's hard because, of course, nobody wants to think of their actions as being related to race or being racist. But it's forward-looking. It's so that we can do better next time. That's so that we can take this model of treating Ukrainian refugees and say, 'can we treat all refugees in this way?'"
As for the U.S., President Joe Biden announced on March 24 an initiative is underway to allow Ukrainian refugees to come here, but it will not be for months.