From students to refugees: students’(im) mobility in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Research on the migratory experiences of people affected by the Russo-Ukraine conflict has mainly focused on Ukrainians, overlooking non-Ukrainians who were also displaced. This article examines how the war shaped the mobility experiences of displaced African students who took refuge in Germany. Using the critical theory of migration control and nativism, the study employs reflexive thematic analysis of qualitative data from 23 African students in Cologne (August 2022). The findings suggest that the students experienced intersecting forms of discrimination, including systemic racism and the double standards of European Union border practices, which hindered their mobility aspirations. The study highlights how micro-level biases rooted in nativism reinforce systemic barriers to mobility and can undermine macro-level measures aimed at alleviating them. Grounded in empirical insights, it synthesises ideas from nativism, ‘migration controls as global apartheid,’ and intersectionality to explore both interpersonal and structural forms of exclusion. This article also contributes to the discourse on international student mobility during violent conflicts.