Many Seeking Asylum Were Not Born in Ukraine, Sparking Concerns Over Forced Conscription
The UN has urged Ukraine to adopt a “compassionate and humane” approach to enforcing martial law, following reports of men attempting to flee the country despite being barred from leaving. Since Russia’s invasion on February 24, Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been prohibited from crossing borders to prevent them from evading potential conscription. However, many men with Ukrainian citizenship have tried to escape to neighboring countries like Hungary, Poland, and Romania, though it remains unclear how many have been allowed to pass.
While Ukraine has stated that it is not forcing men to fight but only requiring them to stay in the country, there are growing fears of forced conscription if the war intensifies. Aid workers report that many of those attempting to leave were not born in Ukraine and had been living there for work or family reasons when the war broke out.
One such individual, Alexander (a pseudonym), a Belarusian born man who had lived in Germany and Poland before taking Ukrainian citizenship, shared his desperation. He explained that, despite holding a Polish residence card and having the right to live in Poland, his Ukrainian citizenship prevented him from leaving the country. He expressed his anguish, saying, “I am not from Ukraine originally and this is not my war,” adding that his family, including his wife and son, was trapped as well.
