The article by Alina Mikhalkina was first published by Newsmaker in the end of 2023. This edited version is being republished and edited for clarity on Global Voices with permission from Newsmaker. “How to flee from Ukraine to Moldova” has been one of the most popular searches on Google over the past two years. It’s not only women, children, and the elderly are fleeing the war in Ukraine, but also men of military age who cannot or do not want to fight. Men often choose to do it illegally. However, in the near future, their rights may be restricted, and they may be made to return to Ukraine. Maxim (name changed), a 26-year-old sailor, like many other Ukrainian men of military age, “bought” his exit from Ukraine. The war found him in Odesa, where he stayed until April 2023. In recent months, he hardly left the house fearing the officials from the Territorial Recruitment Center. By President Zelenskyy's decree immediately following the Russian invasion, men of military age (from 18 to 60 years old) were prohibited from leaving the country. However, the decree itself does not explicitly forbid travel. “The decision is based on by-laws that pose corruption risks,” said Artem Sytnik, deputy head of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. There are some exceptions in these laws: men aged 18 to 60 can leave the country if, for example, they are accompanying spouses, children or parents with disabilities, if they are raising three or more children, or if they are seafarers with contracts on sea vessels. However, as Maxim claims, even those falling under these categories find it challenging to get permission to leave. These laws also create a myriad of illegal schemes. Ukrainian intelligence services identify the organizers of such mechanisms on a daily basis, for exemple, a resident of Odesa, who ‘arranged’ fictitious marriages with women with disabilities (for $4500). Individuals try to leave Ukraine through various means, including extreme ones. For example, some swim across the Dniester River or traverse forests, escaping wild boars. However, a larger number use the services of intermediaries to cross the Ukrainian border, including its Moldovan section. Since the beginning of the war, about 15,000 Ukrainians have illegally crossed the border of Moldova, according to Ruslan Galushka, the head of the Moldovan Border Police. He stated, “The average number of illegal crossings per day ranges from five to 25.” Maxim used the intermediaries for help “for decent money” and, in his words, “absolutely legally.” He now lives in Chișinău and has a contract as a sailor. It doesn’t matter how Ukrainian men crossed the border into Moldova, but their subsequent step is to legalize their stay in the country, typically by seeking asylum. According to Article 9 of the Law on Asylum in the Republic of Moldova, asylum seekers “are not subject to consequences for illegal entry or illegal stay on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.” Moldovan authorities also cannot extradite them to another country, except in cases where there is a threat to Moldova. Consequently, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Moldovan asylum system experienced a collapse. Until February 24, 2022, approximately 100 asylum applications were filed in Moldova per year. In 2022, 11,218 citizens of Ukraine submitted such applications: 811 children, 1,424 women, and 8,983 men. In the same year, 2022, the General Inspectorate made 6,682 decisions to halt asylum procedures for Ukrainian citizens, either by their own decision, or because applicants had already left the country. From January to October 2023 this number decreased to 5,738 decisions. NewsMaker's source explained that usually Ukrainian men move “further” and stop asylum procedures. Their final goal — EU countries. But some Ukrainians choose to remain in Moldova and apply for temporary protection documents (a status specifically introduced for Ukrainians that grants an annual right to residence, work, social and medical assistance). A NewsMaker source who works with refugees notes that most men from Ukraine prefer not to openly discuss how they left the country: “Journalists often come to different communities and ask if there are men who crossed the border illegally and are willing to speak anonymously. In most cases, they encounter an extremely aggressive refusal.” Another NewsMaker informant from the humanitarian sector explains that Ukrainian men fear that after the adoption of a new mobilization law in Ukraine, they might lose temporary protection status in Moldova and face extradition to Ukraine. “Programmers and sailors opt to remain in Moldova for obvious reasons: it’s close to home, and their relatives can visit them,” shares the source.