Amid Russia-Ukraine war, here's how countries are evacuating their citizens

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the worst attack on a European state since World War II, has prompted a volley of Western retaliation, though not military. Nations from all over the world have expressed concern over their citizens stranded in the war-torn country. The Indian government too is working tirelessly to get students studying abroad and other Indians out of the war-torn nation. According to data from Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science, 80,000 international students study in the country.

India has the highest number, followed by Morocco, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Nigeria. Operation Ganga, India's evacuation campaign, has been the most active thus far among all nations with nationals in Ukraine. So, let's have a look at how other countries around the world are evacuating their citizens from Ukraine.

India 

India has dispatched four senior ministers to Ukraine's border countries to assist in the rescue of tens of thousands of nationals who have been stuck in the country for more than four days following Russia's invasion. On February 28, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with senior authorities to discuss evacuation plans, amid growing worries about the safety of roughly 16,000 Indians who remained in Ukraine, most of whom are students.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and VK Singh will fly to Ukraine's neighbouring nations to coordinate the evacuation. While Operation Ganga is underway, Indians are continuing to return home through flights from India to Ukraine's neighbouring countries. The Indian government has issued contact numbers, advisories, and assistance systems, and the embassy is fully operational.

Egypt

The Egyptian embassy and Ukrainian officials were arranging the return of Egyptian students. Ali Farouk, the head of the Egyptian Community in Ukraine, informed the stranded students last week about the procedure. Egyptian students stranded in Ukraine have been pleading with the embassy to assist them in evacuating as soon as possible. Some students took matters into their own hands, crossing the border into Poland in the hopes of returning home.

Morocco

The Moroccan embassy in Ukraine continues to keep a close eye on the exodus. To ease the evacuation process, the government supplied Moroccans with free-toll phone lines. Many Moroccans are currently making their own way to border crossing locations in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary.

China

China has 6,000 stranded nationals in Ukraine. The nation scheduled chartered planes for its citizens on February 24 and urged those leaving Kyiv to display identification, such as the Chinese flag. However, the Chinese embassy in Ukraine asked its nationals to refrain from showing identification signs on February 26, just days after urging them to install a Chinese flag on their vehicles. On February 27, the Chinese ambassador to Ukraine sent a video message claiming that the current situation was too dangerous for civilians to be evacuated.

China has not published any travel warnings or assistance mechanisms. Further, the ambassador debunked rumours that he had fled Kyiv and reassured Chinese nationals who had been stuck in the war-torn country. After a series of unconfirmed social media accusations of increased hostility toward Chinese citizens, the embassy urged Chinese citizens to not quarrel with locals.

United Kingdom

On February 17, UK issued its first warning. The advisory noted that the British government's ability to give consular aid in Ukraine will be seriously harmed due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In these situations, British citizens should not expect greater consular assistance or assistance with evacuation, the document further added.

The British government has made the contact numbers for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) public. The British Embassy in Kyiv has relocated for the time being. The British Embassy in Lviv is home to the embassy's staff. The British Embassy's in-person consular services are severely limited, and Russian military involvement may exacerbate the situation. The United Kingdom has advised its citizens to heed Ukrainian officials' guidance and provide no extra help. A web-based form has been made available.

United States

On February 27, the US government announced unequivocally that it will be unable to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine. If it is safe to do so, the advisory suggests US citizens in Ukraine to leave using privately accessible transportation options. The US Embassy provided an online form, as well as local (Ukraine) and international (US-based) phone numbers, on February 22. The United States encouraged its citizens to enlist in the STEP programme in order to receive security updates and quick communication in the event of an emergency.

It published a list of border crossings, as well as the phone numbers of embassy personnel stationed at various border crossings and precise locations where US citizens can cross. The US administration has made no specific evacuation attempt to get its citizens back from Ukraine. Even US nationals face enormous lines at the Ukrainian border in order to be evacuated via neighbouring nations. Moreover, Washington has requested its citizens to bring food and other supplies to the Ukrainian border.

France

The French government warned on Sunday that all French people on short-term trips to Russia should leave the country immediately, citing tightened air travel restrictions imposed by sanctions imposed on Moscow for invading Ukraine. Air France has announced that all flights to and from Russia have been halted until further notice.

Germany

German nationals are being asked to leave the country immediately, according to the German authorities. It is currently impossible for German authorities to evacuate the area. The German Embassy in Kyiv is currently closed for renovations. On February 12, 2022, Germany issued a similar advise to its citizens to leave Ukraine, just after the United States did.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP