Chisinau, March 20- “We have no one in Norway, and we don’t know what awaits us, but for us the most important thing is to go to a safe place. The registration process was simple with your assistance, and now we are ready to take the flight to a new life.”

Ivana and her family, from Odesa, are one of hundreds of Ukrainian refugees who entered the Republic of Moldova to flee the war, and who were assisted by the IOM Moldova’s Resettlement and Movement Management Team.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, 2,585 Ukrainian refugees and third-country nationals have been transferred by air transportation by the International Organization for Migration, in coordination with the Border Police of the Republic of Moldova, for their relocation to 14 European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) Member States: Austria, Germany, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Netherlands Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland.

“I came to Moldova with my children in February 2022 to flee the war and we settled in Balti. My eldest son returned to Ukraine to help the country and my eldest daughter to be close to her husband”, said Natalia, from Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, just a couple hours before taking the flight to Norway with her four children. “The decision to go to Norway was difficult, but I was encouraged by both my children and a very good friend who was with me when we entered Moldova to flee the war.”

Through the Migration Health Department, people supported through the air transportation program, also received pre-departure health assistance by the IOM Medical Team.

These activities are funded by the European Union, European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR).

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For more information: Riccardo Severi, Communications and Public Information Officer, IOM Moldova, rseveri@iom.int