Chisinau - IOM and international information and community engagement NGO, Internews, have released “ONE YEAR LATER: Online Discourse in Moldova about Ukrainian Refugees”.

The report presents analysis of social listening done on February and March 2023, monitoring sentiment and perspectives of Moldovan social media users about refugees as the Ukrainian/Russian war enters its second year.

Moldova has one of the highest intake of refugees per capita in Europe. Faced with considerable economic and social pressures of its own, the government and people have shown generosity and willingness to house those displaced by the war.

But how has time and the daily concerns of Moldovans affect the temperature of 
the information ecosystem?  Internews monitored nine high-use social media platforms and collected online comments, to enable the tracking of hate speech, social tensions, prejudice, rumours, misinformation and disinformation.

Negative social discourse can have damaging consequences: it can impact refugee services, mental wellbeing, and pose a risk to refuges and the many people in Moldova who willingly welcome and assist them. 

This research, framed specifically around tracking negative discourse, is an important contribution to ongoing humanitarian efforts in Moldova for social cohesion and safety for everyone who have fled Ukraine because of the war.

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