Every day people from Ukraine come to Slovakia, looking for safe refuge here. Many of them turn to IOM infopoints at border points of entry and assistance centres for information, advice and assistance. We bring you their stories that they shared with our IOM frontline teams. 

Ukrainian family of five reunited and found peace in Slovakia

Couple of days ago, a family from the city of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region came to the Michalovce Transit Centre. A family of 5 people consisting of an elderly couple: a grandmother and a grandfather, a young woman Natalia and her two sons Ilya and Maxim searched for information about temporary shelter registration.

IOM frontline team responding to Natalia's questions about social guarantees for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia. Photo © International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2023.

During peacetime in Ukraine, Natalia was engaged in business - she owned several stores of different assortments in Volnovakha. But with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, much of the town’s infrastructure was severely damaged, the town was devastated and Natalia’s stores were destroyed. The family lost their means of livelihood.

The elderly couple, grandfather and grandmother of the family, left Ukraine as soon as it was possible and the situation was safe enough to move from Donetsk region. The couple have been living in Trebisov since July 2022 with temporary protection status. For some time, the rest of the family, Natalia and kids, managed to live in Ukraine with savings and help from people who cared, but as of January 2023, it had become exceedingly difficult to live for them in Ukraine. The family decided to reunite with grandparents in Slovakia.

Natalia was very happy to meet her parents-in-law at Slovak-Ukrainian borders. She felt relieved that the family is safe now: “I am not able to make any long-term plans, because my husband is still in Ukraine. All I know is that I want stay in Slovakia for a while with my family and feel safe.,” she confessed. 

IOM frontline team responded to her questions about social guarantees for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia. Furthermore, she received the set of basic hygiene items: powder, soap, shampoo, diapers and plaid.

IOM frontline team has been present at the borders since the first days of the war. IOM team members have been constantly providing advice and assistancwe in various areas, such as temporary shelter in Slovakia, how to apply for it, advice on services, residence, transport, the social protection system or employment in Slovakia. IOM frontline team is to these days active in Vysne Nemecke, in Ubla, in the Michalovce Transit Centre and in the Košice Hotspot. We have already helped over 6,100 people with this service.

These stories are collected by IOM frontline teams with the consent of respondents.

Read more about IOM assistance to people from Ukraine:

www.iom.sk/ukraine

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