Refugees experience before arriving in Romania:
Many of the refugees entering into Romania have been waiting long hours, if not days at the border in the cold. There are reports that some wait up to five days.
Gas stations on the Ukrainian side of the border act as hubs where they can can temporarily rest, stay warm and relatively comfortable, walk a little. There are constantly long queues for the women’s toilets. There is no soap, toilet paper, many times the toilets are clogged and overflowing. However, at 10pm the gas stations close and then everyone remains in their cars or in special camps if they don’t have a vehicle, which are unheated or poorly heated. It is hard for them to find places to charge their phones, there are no specially equipped places to change baby diapers. In the gas stations, the shelves are empty.
Martial law is not allowing any men between 18-60 out of the country unless they have three or more children or are a single parent, or are the parent of a child with disabilities. Authorities are forcing apart families at the border, and even for those prepared to separate from their partners, the separation is traumatic, as they do not know if and when they may ever see each other again.
Already there are reports of some small children that have died from dehydration, and some cases of dysentery are appearing in the bunker camps.
Vulnerability Level of Refugees on the Increase
At first, most of the influx of refugees were people with good income levels, and relatives or friends in Europe they could flee to. Now, greater numbers of more vulnerable refugees are coming, with little financial resources and without contacts to support them.
When they cross the border, often they have been carrying a lot of tension, anxiety and stress for weeks. The relief of crossing the border can lead to different kinds of emotional release, from laughing to shaking to crying uncontrollably, and in other cases the person may still be numb and withdrawn, or disoriented.
Offering Hospitality
Keeping in mind the context above, it is very important that all of us welcoming the refugees into the country offer a calming, reassuring, appropriate presence and warm, basic hospitality. It is extremely important not to rush them and to have good and harmonious collaboration with the authorities, in order to inspire trust and a sense of security.
Triage
When receiving the refugees after crossing the border and formalities with checking the documents etc are completed, it is important to give them a bit of space to express how they feel so they can release some of the tensions, and also find out if they have any symptoms of a medical condition. The triage is done by the ISU authorities, but translators also need to be sensitive to accurately translate not only the words but also offer a calm, reassuring tone and stay connected with eye contact, not taking other calls or getting distracted while receiving a refugee. Translators should not rush or hurry refugees towards transport, but make sure to translate the authorities’ effort to ensure basic needs for safety, warmth, water, and food are being met as a first priority. During the triage, the authorities also explain to the refugees the different options available and help them to choose.
Meeting basic needs for safety, warmth, water and food
Indeed, due to the stress and anxiety, many of the refugees disassociate from their basic physiological needs. Most are very frozen from hours in the cold, and many refugees are quite dehydrated without realising it. Encourage them to warm up in one of the heated tents, use the bathroom, have a hot drink, and warm soup. Make sure to find out if they have dietary restrictions and help them to find appropriate food. This helps them to relax.
Responding to emotional release with warmth and positivity
As they relax and emotional tensions surface and discharge, they may need psychological first aid, so please apply the principles described in that section. The most important thing is to stay calm, balanced and connected with them. Carefully observe the body language of the refugee, adapting your approach so that you create rapport by mirroring. If they are avoiding eye contact, stand alongside them and look in the same direction. If they are seeking eye contact and reassurance then maintain eye contact. Give them your full, undivided attention, care and warmth while listening to them. When someone is translating do not look at the translator – continue to stay connected with the person and look at them both when speaking and when listening. Stay positive, confident and reassuring.
The sooner people who have been through an intense experience can begin to release the tensions, the more easily they will recover long term. Taking the time to give that reassurance and care will make a big difference.
After these basic needs have been addressed, then refugees can move on to gathering the supplies they need, and moving towards the appropriate waiting areas or transportation.