Ukraine-Russia: ‘It’s just heartbreaking’, say Romanian volunteers as refugees cross the border

At the border crossing between Ukraine and Romania, progress is painfully slow, as just one family passes through every few minutes.

The queue of Ukrainian refugees, desperate to flee the war raging in their home country, snakes for miles back into Ukraine from the crossing point at the Romanian town of Siret. Most of those trying to cross are women and children, due to Ukrainian rules restricting travel for men aged between 18 and 60.

On the Romanian side , volunteers hold signs offering accommodation, transport and mobile phone hotspots to allow refugees to stay in contact with friends and relatives back home. But the slow progress through the patrol area means the number of volunteers sometimes outnumbers the refugees available to be helped.

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"It’s just heartbreaking,” says one Romanian volunteer, Andrei Dascalescu, who drove 100 miles to the border with his partner Paula to offer assistance. “Hundreds of mothers with two, three, four children and no father, crossing on foot, with strollers and trolleys and bags. Young girls with dogs and cats. Cars full of children and luggage.

Ukrainian families arriving were handed flowers by Romanian volunteers at the border.
Picture: Andrei DascalescuUkrainian families arriving were handed flowers by Romanian volunteers at the border.
Picture: Andrei Dascalescu
Ukrainian families arriving were handed flowers by Romanian volunteers at the border. Picture: Andrei Dascalescu

"But it’s also heartwarming, because there are a lot of people who volunteer to help, with everything from transport, accommodation to food and drinks.”

The scene is repeated at crossings with other neighbouring countries, including Poland and Moldova, where governments have been preparing for an influx of refugees.

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In the UK, Labour leader Keir Starmer yesterday echoed Scottish Government calls to take in refugees fleeing the Russian invasion, saying the UK government “got this one wrong” in continuing to apply existing rules for Ukranians. The Home Office, which has limited visas to family members of British Nationals resident in Ukraine, said it was increasing the number of staff in visa centres in surrounding countries.

Romanian volunteers hold up signs in Ukrainian offering help to refugees as they arrive. Picture: Andrei DascalescuRomanian volunteers hold up signs in Ukrainian offering help to refugees as they arrive. Picture: Andrei Dascalescu
Romanian volunteers hold up signs in Ukrainian offering help to refugees as they arrive. Picture: Andrei Dascalescu

Mr Dascalescu says he has been encouraged by the support shown in Romania for refugees. On his way to Siret, he stopped at a small local shop to buy a marker pen to make a sign.

"I was thinking I’ll need to write signs on cardboard to offer our help at the border: connecting Ukrainians to people who offer transport and accommodation, offering them a internet hotspot and so on,” he says.

As he paid for the pen, Mr Dascalescu told the shop owners, the Mateiciuc family, where he was going. Their reaction was immediate – and generous.

"They told me if I find a family with children in need of overnight accommodation, I can call them and bring them to their place,” he says. “It was already night time and quite cold. I thanked them and drove to the border.”

Refugees from Ukraine arrive at the Romanian border in Siret.
Picture: Andrei DascalescuRefugees from Ukraine arrive at the Romanian border in Siret.
Picture: Andrei Dascalescu
Refugees from Ukraine arrive at the Romanian border in Siret. Picture: Andrei Dascalescu
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Just a few hours later, he returned to the shop with Ukrainian refugee Anastasia and her three children.

"As we slowly navigated through the chaos and got closer to the border, watching heartbreaking scenes at every step, we decided to offer our help to a single mother with three kids,” he says. “She looked at us in disbelief, but after a short conversation we realised she didn’t have any plan, she didn’t know anybody, she was alone in the night, with no idea where they’d sleep and what they’ll do tomorrow. So we brought Anastasia and her kids to the Mateiciucs, who also invited us to spend the night at their place, and offered all of us dinner.”

The couple now hope to be able to help Anastasia travel to their hometown of Piatra Neamt, where friends have already offered spare rooms.

Romanian authorities help receive Ukrainian refugees in Siret.
Picture: Andrei DascalescuRomanian authorities help receive Ukrainian refugees in Siret.
Picture: Andrei Dascalescu
Romanian authorities help receive Ukrainian refugees in Siret. Picture: Andrei Dascalescu

Most refugees hope to travel onwards to stay with family in Germany or Poland, but others have no plan. Romanian authorities said they were prepared to receive up to half a million potential refugees.

Grassroots organisations have sprung up in cities and towns, where volunteers are working to offer what support they can and WhatsApp groups are pinging with messages connecting people arriving from Ukraine with empty flats around Romania.

In Cluj, in the Romanian province of Transylvania, Russian-born Evgeniya Ilinskaya, who has lived in Romania for five years, is coordinating efforts to match refugees with available aid. She has relatives in Ukraine, who are sheltering from bombings.

“I can not stay calm as my relatives are now sitting in the basement,” she says. “I am Russian, but part of my family is living in Ukraine. They are Russians originally – a lot of people in Russia have relatives in Ukraine.”

Georgiana Deak is one Cluj citizen who has offered to open her home on the edge of the city - where she lives with her partner and young child - to a refugee family.

Andrei Dascalescu and his partner Paula are offering help to refugees on the Romanian border.Andrei Dascalescu and his partner Paula are offering help to refugees on the Romanian border.
Andrei Dascalescu and his partner Paula are offering help to refugees on the Romanian border.
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“They are people,” she says. “Normal people that just got caught in the middle of this mess. They just had to pack two or three things and leave their homes, their entire life: they chose to survive.

“I can’t fight their war, but we can help in other ways. This can happen to anybody, money is useless for them now. We will do what we can for them. And we can offer them a roof above their heads, food and whatever else they need. It is very scary what it is happening – single mothers with small children, mothers giving birth to babies in metro stations. It is unbelievable for 2022.”

Romanian businesses are also opening their doors to offer support of rooms and meals for refugees passing through.

In Suceava, less than 30 miles from the Ukrainian border, Romanian businessman Stefan Mandachi has put out an appeal for mattresses, saying the function room in his hotel still has space for more refugees – but they need somewhere to sleep. He has hired a Ukrainian speaking translator at the Mandachi Hotel, where he is also coordinating matching those in need with offers of help across Romania – and has opened a fund where Romanians can donate to help refugees.

Meanwhile, in the city of Tecuci, in the west of Romania, Mac Florea, owner of Hotel Andra, did not hesitate to offer accommodation and a meal to Ukrainian refugees with children.

"If a war would ever start in my country, I would wish that my wife and child - if they manage to cross the border in a country where peace reigns - to be hosted at least one evening in a safe home,” he says.

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