Moldova

Moldova has one of the smallest economies in Europe. For this reason, emigration has been significantly more prevalent than immigration. However, around half a million Ukrainian refugees had crossed the border into Moldova by the beginning of June. Most of them moved on to other countries for refuge, while around 93,000 have stayed in Moldova. In interviews with Ukrainian refugees at entry/exit border control points, the highest needs requested by people were “financial support” (30%), followed by “medicines and health services” (14%) and “employment/job” (10%).

The government of Moldova does not usually provide all of the types of services that refugees need, so some responsibility falls on the local citizens, grassroots groups, and volunteers in Moldova. An example is the need for transportation, which local people have started providing. Most of the Ukrainian refugees arriving in Moldova are women because of Ukraine’s conscription requirement that most men stay, and vulnerability to sexual exploitation and trafficking is an enormous concern.