At Palanca, Mihai Macovețchi (second from the right) and his colleagues provide legal assistance and essential guidance to those fleeing war and uncertainty, ensuring they are not left to navigate their next steps alone.
© Courtesy of CDA
Every day, Ukrainians fleeing war and uncertainty cross into Moldova at the Palanca border crossing, one of the country’s two main entry points from Ukraine. Even three years since the war’s escalation, while the initial waves of arrivals have decreased, families continue to arrive here each day – mothers with young children, persons with disabilities, grandparents, and lone teenagers carrying their lives in a few bags. Many step into Moldova exhausted, holding onto little more than the hope for safety. But for most, the next steps are unclear.
That’s where Mihai and his colleagues from the Law Centre of Advocates (CDA), a key partner of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Moldova, with support from the European Union, come in.
Following the escalation of the war in 2022, Palanca, located at Moldova’s southeastern border, became one of the busiest border crossings in the country, receiving hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine. To address this, CDA, with the support of UNHCR, established a presence at key entry points, including Otaci in the north, and Chișinău International Airport, to ensure that refugees receive information and legal support upon arrival. Today, border monitors continue their work at five key border points, ensuring that refugees arriving in Moldova receive the guidance and support they need, while information on the situation and their needs is gathered for humanitarian partners to act on it.
Mihai is one of three CDA monitors working at Palanca and has been a Border Monitor and Legal Adviser since August 2022. At the border, his role is essential—offering urgent legal guidance, helping newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers understand their rights, navigating legal procedures, and identifying those in critical need of assistance.
“In every person I support, I see both the emotional baggage of the past and the hope for a better future,” Mihai says. “That’s why every question I answer, every piece of guidance I offer, matters. For some, it’s the first step toward a new life.”
Since February 2022, over 1 million Ukrainians fleeing war have crossed into Moldova through its border with Ukraine. While many have moved on, over 127,700 Ukrainian refugees remain in the country. With more than 69,000 granted Temporary Protection, allowing them to access essential services and stability.
Since July 2023, 7,500 people have been surveyed through protection monitoring efforts, making Moldova’s monitoring one of the most extensive among UNHCR operations for the Ukraine situation. Over 22,400 individuals have also received legal counselling and protection support through the monitoring staff and protection desks—ensuring access to essential services, and accurate information.
“The greatest challenge at the border is always uncertainty,” Mihai says. “People are often overwhelmed by confusion—about their rights, their status, their future. Our role is to transform that confusion into clarity and fear into hope.”
But providing this support takes dedication. Every day, Mihai commutes from Moldova’s capital, Chișinău, to Palanca, where he works long hours alongside UNHCR colleagues and CDA legal monitors.
The work is demanding. Yet, he never hesitates—because for those arriving, the right guidance can make a difference.
“Every day, I witness profound pain and anxiety in the eyes of those arriving,” he says. “But I also see relief and gratitude after we help them understand their next steps. Knowing I made someone feel safe and seen—that makes every tough day worth it.”
As the war continues, refugees keep on crossing into Moldova every day, seeking safety. At Palanca, Mihai and his colleagues stand on the frontline of protection, ensuring each person receives essential support—not just in legal terms, but in human ones.
“No one should have to face this journey alone,” Mihai says. “That’s why we’re here.”
Mihai is one of dozens of humanitarians working to mantain Moldova’s doors open. This effort is made possible by the European Union, guaranteeing that every arrival receives the guidance necessary for a safe and dignified path forward.
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