From February 24, 2022 to May 31, 2024, about 23,500 Ukrainian men entered Moldova illegally, that is, bypassing checkpoints.
Radio Svoboda writes about this, referring to the data of the border police and the General Inspectorate for Migration of Moldova.
The Moldovan authorities claim that they want to help Ukraine prevent the escape of combatants, and especially organized human trafficking. However, if the fugitives manage to arrive in Moldova undetected, they are not at risk of repatriation.
Moreover, the rule of the Criminal Code of Moldova regarding the illegal crossing of the state border does not apply to foreigners who want to use the right of asylum.
The head of the border police of Moldova, Ruslan Galushka, says that if Ukrainians personally apply to the units of the border police or the General Inspectorate for Migration with a request for a certain form of international protection, they "are not subject to sanctions for illegal entry" into the territory of Moldova.
According to Radio Svoboda, official data indicate that over the past year and two months, 12,764 Ukrainian men aged 18 to 59 have received such a temporary protection status.