Temporary protection brings comfort to Ukrainian refugees in Greblesti
© UNHCR/Eugenia Ciurca
Anatoli and his family put off leaving their home in Mykolaiv for as long as they could. “We hoped the war would be over soon and we wouldn’t have to leave,” he says. “We even stopped flinching at the sound of shelling, until one evening we heard shrapnel hit our neighbors’ roofs – we packed up our emergency bags that same night.”
Many of Anatoli’s acquaintances left Ukraine for countries around Europe. “We fled the rockets, and we found peace here. We chose Moldova because it’s the closest country, both geographically and spiritually,” he explains.
In spite of the war, he found solace here. “There are times when reality hits me and it breaks my heart to think what times we live in,” he shares, adding that “Moldovans’ attitudes towards us help a lot; we feel that there is room for us here and we don’t get in anyone’s way, which is a huge comfort.”
He settled in Greblesti, along with his wife and mother-in-law, who both have disabilities that limit their mobility. They were able to apply for temporary protection status thanks to a mobile registration team sent by the Government’s General Inspectorate for Migration.
Temporary protection status allows refugees from Ukraine and their families to stay in Moldova until 1 March 2024, with the possibility of an additional one-year extension. In addition, they also get access to primary and emergency healthcare, general education for their children, the right to work and certain social assistance measures.
Having temporary protection status provides Anatoli and his family with a sense of security in Moldova, even as they eagerly follow news of the continuing shelling at home. “I dream of an end to the war. I dream of more stability. I miss music. I miss the guitar that I left in Mykolaiv. There’s no room for a guitar in the emergency bag,” Anatoli smiles.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has been working with the General Inspectorate for Migration of the Moldovan Ministry of Internal Affairs to support the Government’s temporary protection programme. Over 8,474 refugees from Ukraine have registered so far, as of 15 July 2023.
UNHCR continues to assist refugees and vulnerable communities in the Republic of Moldova thanks to the generous support from the European Union, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Denmark, and the United States of America.
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