Indeed, the conflict in Ukraine triggered a political and humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions in Europe. Approximately 6.3 million Ukrainians left their country. The main host countries are neighbouring countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Moldova. Moldova received up to 750,000 refugees at the high of displaced, with more than 100,000 remaining in country in April 2023. Moldova received more refugees per capita than any other country, which placed a vast burden on a country of only 3 million people, having the lowest development index (HDI) in Europe.
Since the beginning of this crisis, the Moldovan society quickly mobilized to coordinate the arrival of the refugees and ensure their effective care, notably with the opening of dozen pf accredited reception centres (RACs). However, the scale and uncertain outlook of the current crisis, and the potential new refugee influx from the continued deterioration of the security context in Ukraine places Moldova at risk of further economic and social shocks. As such, relationships between Ukrainians and Moldovans are declining, as there is a general perception in country that refugees are receiving more than Moldovans, in addition to language and cultural differences that strain relations.
