The Moldovan authorities found themselves in the epicenter of a phenomenon that they believed they will be unable to fully manage – the large flow of refugees following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. The refugees who entered Moldova came to 100,000 during the first four days alone. All the bodies of the Ministry of the Interior had to adjust their procedures on the way so as to cope with the situation. Over 300,000 refugees crossed the Moldovan-Ukrainian boarder so far and about 100,000 of them remained in Moldova. A discussion at the EU Debates Café, staged by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), centered on the way in which the state institutions and the families that house refugees cope, IPN reports.
Minister of the Interior Ana Revenco said that facilitated conditions for entering Moldova were created for the refugees. The large number of refugees is a challenge also for the forces that maintain public order and security and for those that ensure road safety as the number of units of transport exceeded several thousands.
Francesca Bonelli, of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Moldova, said that it is for the first time that she saw such commitment on the part of the authorities and the people who welcomed the refugees. The UNHCR’s commitment is to support the Government in the crisis. The first step in an emergency response starts from the border. The UNHCR cooperates with the border police, supports the refugee centers in Chisinau and other regions.
Vitalie Sprânceană, a member of the volunteer initiative “Moldova for Pace”, said that a part of their people accumulated volunteering experience as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. But there were specific challenges to which they had to adjust on the way. Initially, they faced difficulties in the transportation of refugees. The international organizations for refugees, which can share their very useful and necessary experience, became gradually involved. The flow of refugees decreased the past four days and this can be a respite for the involved institutions to get ready for the second or third wave.
Victoria Olari, project coordinator at the Institute for Strategic Initiatives, said the response to the refugee crisis is a maturity exam for Moldova. The mobilization of the authorities and the population is the best example in this regard. The humanitarian crisis hit the whole continent. The Republic of Moldova accepted the largest number of refugees per capital. The crisis found Moldova with an economy that was recovering after the COVID-19 and energy crises. Even so, both the state and the citizens found forces to mobilize. The authorities should think about measures to integrate the refugees who want to stay in Moldova. Efforts are being made in the education sector. The finding of a job and obtaining of financial independence by the refugees would help reduce the pressure exerted on the social system.
Liliana Palihovici, president of “Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, noted that their organization continues to look for international partners for offering the necessary assistance to families that house refuges. They are now working with four districts: Ialoveni, Strășeni, Rezina and Fălești.
The event was organized in the framework of the project “EU Debates Café: Advancing knowledge and expertise on EU institutions and policies in the Republic of Moldova” that is implemented by IPRE in cooperation with Hanns Seidel Foundation in Moldova, with financial support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
