Ghenadie and Lilia left Moldova in 2008 to seek asylum in Ireland, in the hopes of finding a better future for their family. Their son was born a few months after they arrived, while they were living in an accommodation centre. “In my country you don’t have a big future…I was pregnant at the time I came to Ireland…and you want to find something in the future for our babies.”

During their two years in Ireland, the family lived in an accommodation centre and could not work because of their status as asylum seekers. Lilia explained that it was very hard to only be able to stay at home, especially for Ghenadie. As a result of this difficulty and for other family reasons, they decided to return to Moldova while their application was still being processed. With the assistance of IOM Ireland, Ghenadie and Lilia were able to fly to Moldova through Budapest, where an IOM staff member met them in the airport to help them in transit. Once they arrived in Moldova, they were also met by IOM staff and family members.

In Moldova, the family found it difficult to adjust. Both Lilia and their son became sick, and Ghenadie was still looking for work. With assistance from friends and relatives, they were able to sustain themselves until they received the reintegration assistance. They decided to use it to take over Ghenadie’s brother’s wine shop. After six months, Ghenadie reported that the wine shop was doing well. They hope to expand the shop and begin selling beer as well.

 

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