Exit door closes on Jamaicans

Facing a conundrum on whether to leave war-threatened Ukraine or remain and complete the six months of study he had left in medical school, time ran out on a Jamaican student and dozens of compatriots in the Eastern European nation.

Since his arrival there five years ago, there had been talk of an imminent invasion by Russia, but none materialised until Thursday when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had ordered military action in Ukraine. The lightning-speed operation in the former Soviet satellite state has reportedly killed dozens so far and drawn condemnation from many world leaders.

In an interview with The Gleaner on Thursday, mere hours after he awoke to the sounds of explosions around 4 a.m., the student, who has requested anonymity because of safety concerns, said things had worsened but that he stayed home in line with a no-movement order as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced martial law and urged people to remain calm.

The Jamaican and more than 40 other student nationals have travelled to Ukraine over the last 10 years, settling in Kharkiv, the capital Kyiv, Dnipro, and Ternopil, when geopolitical tensions heightened between Russia and Ukraine.

At least two of the four cities have been experiencing war-like conditions, triggering panic in the eastern arc of the country bordered by seven nations, including Russia to its north and northeast.

The Jamaicans chose to study medicine and other disciplines in Ukraine because tuition fees are less than half the cost in Jamaica, students have said.

“What is this? Why is it that when I’m about to leave, everything start?” he questioned.

Some of the Jamaicans faced flight cancellations earlier this week when Ukrainian authorities ordered the country’s airspace closed.

“I woke up to sounds, and it didn’t sound like the wind, because sometimes we have strong winds. I said this isn’t fireworks either. I became nervous at that point in time. I was very nervous,” he said.

The Jamaican told The Gleaner that while he could hear explosions, he was out of the firing line.

Other Jamaicans had relocated to a bomb shelter after advisories from Ukrainian authorities urged, in some instances, citywide evacuations.

The Jamaican said a sense of fear has permeated the atmosphere and gloom has enveloped cities which, only days ago, appeared normal and vibrant.

“People are worried. Before, they were saying nothing would happen. It’s something that has been going on for years, but now they’ve actually seen that things are happening. People are trying to move. People can’t leave because of transportation problems. Traffic jams for miles, and stuff like that. They’re very worried,” he said.

The Jamaican was among scores of people waiting in an ABM line when a second round of explosions began, forcing him to return home without cash.

Asked why he and others had not left a country on the edge of war, he said they were ironing out issues related to their programmes.

The Jamaican said it was also a challenge booking tickets lower than the supranormal rate of €2,000 (J$340,000).

Eventually, he was able to book a ticket, but the conflict escalated quickly before he could leave.

“What people don’t understand is that we’re in school and, yes, we should have left. Some of us tried to leave, but it wasn’t that simple,” he said.

“If it is that you leave, for example, people who just came without your permit, you’re basically deporting yourself and then you’d have to find a lot of money to come back in. Also, you’d have to pay a fine to leave because you overstayed because your visa would have expired by that time even though your residency permit is being processed.”

Several of his colleagues had voiced concerns in meetings with Jamaican Ambassador Denise Sealey, who is based in Berlin, Germany.

In the last several weeks, the group of students voiced disappointment at what they said was the lack of support from the Government, which had urged them to make their own preparations to leave.

A loan of approximately €500 ($85,000), which would cover airfare, was offered to students who could not afford to travel, but only one student had taken up the offer.

Others had indicated that repayment terms and interest rates were not discussed, causing scepticism.

Several of the students also had expired passports while others were experiencing difficulties processing visas because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the US and the United Kingdom had urged its citizens, including embassy staff, to leave the country.

“People who don’t really know anything will always say a whole heap of stuff,” the Jamaican said, noting that it was difficult studying overseas.

Several Jamaican families are anxious amid reports of downed power and communication lines and transportation challenges in some cities.

A Jamaican woman, whose daughter remained in the country, said she was still processing all that was transpiring.

“I just want people to pray and not judge the parents and the decision they made with their kids. Pray because I still believe, out of many, we are one,” she said, referencing the national motto.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com