Some Nigerians have accused universities in Ukraine of holding on to their transcripts, forcing them to pay for a new academic session and compelling them to return to the war-torn cities of the country. 

The Russian invasion in February forced an exodus of international students from Ukraine, as cities and campuses became targets of bombing and shelling. Fleeing Nigerians and other international students accused Ukrainian authorities of treating them unfavourably at the borders. 

In a Twitter thread on Sunday, @ChyLady, a supporter of African students in Ukraine, said international students were being forced to return to the country.

“Nigerian students who fled Ukraine are being discriminated against by their Ukrainian universities. The universities are pressurising the students to return to Ukraine to pay their fees for September without guaranteeing their safety,” she said.

Ukrainian universities are refusing to release high school certificates of African students who fled Ukraine.They have a policy of retaining the students original WAEC/GCSE certificates until graduation and now they won’t give it back unless the student is expelled👇🏾@MFA_Ukraine pic.twitter.com/K7bmITGPnw

— Chylady #AfricansinUkraine (@ChyLady) August 28, 2022

“The Ukrainian universities are also threatening to expel the students if they don’t pay their fees but frustrating their requests for transcripts to transfer to other universities.”

@ChyLady also explained that universities told international students to pay full tuition fees when they requested for their transcripts.

“Ukrainian universities are threatening African students who fled Ukraine with cancellation of resident permits if they request for transcripts. The students are also denied transfer opportunities into EU universities for many reasons, including not having transcripts.

“They have asked African students to pay for the next September session and go back into Ukraine to continue their studies while mandating that they must sign a document stating they are going back at their own risk and the Ukrainian university will not be responsible for their safety.”

Nigerian students who fled to countries to some European countries have been given a short-term visa and encouraged to apply at German universities to continue their studies. The stance of the Ukrainian universities hinders these students from transferring from one tertiary institution to another.

FIJ sent an email to Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs, but no response at press time.