It’s more complex than being made out here. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen huge numbers of people taken in by central and Eastern Europe. Many are 18-30 males avoiding getting called up. Most are working and studies show they are bringing more money into the countries than they are costing, but rival politicians and the media have fuelled a lot of anti-immigration sentiment in regular people. And while it has not been about skin colour in the case if Ukrainians, it has become an enabler for people who were already racist to be more open about it, because they feel like they are in a bigger crowd of like minded people than they were before.
I used to be praised for being a foreigner speaking Czech with a ‘cute’ accent, now people are much colder towards me, assuming I’m Ukrainian. If I explain I’m English and lived here for 20 years, they visibly relax and become nicer to me. I feel like this has set Europe back by 30 years.