Ad Hoc Committee on Migration at the Reception Centre Doina Street, Chisinau, 9 March 2023CHISINAU, 10 March 2023 – Members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration today concluded a two-day field visit to Moldova, where they met ministers, legislators, stakeholders and policy advocates to learn more about the country’s significant efforts in hosting more than 100,000 individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The OSCE PA delegation praised Moldova’s positive achievements in welcoming refugees and facilitating the safe transit of more than 600,000 people towards Europe, especially in light of the fact that Moldova was not previously a country of destination for refugees. They also highlighted several challenges and identified areas where the Parliamentary Assembly and OSCE participating States can provide assistance. Main topics addressed included vulnerable categories of refugees, such as unaccompanied and separated children, children with special needs, Roma children, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities, as well as measures to counter risks of trafficking in human beings and gender-based violence.
“Moldova deserves a good deal of credit for following many best practices when it comes to hosting refugees,” said Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair Mark Pritchard (United Kingdom) today. “Not only has the country enabled access to employment, with nearly 1,000 Ukrainian nationals currently employed in Moldova, but its implementation of a new temporary protection scheme for Ukrainian refugees until March 2024 will provide them with a more secure legal status, further enhancing access to accommodation, education, employment, primary health care and social assistance.”
Moldova is experiencing ongoing challenges in integrating refugees, as most of them hope to return to Ukraine in the near future, and against the background of insufficient human and financial resources. This is a particular challenge when it comes to the field of education – although Moldovan authorities have also facilitated access to online education provided by Ukrainian institutions; and in the field of employment and social services where improvements would benefit the greater population, not just Ukrainian refugees.
OSCE PA delegation, led by Committee Chair Mark Pritchard, meets with State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Jana Costachi, 10 March 2023Other participants in the visit to Moldova included Ad Hoc Committee Vice-Chairs Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus) and Gudrun Kugler (Austria), as well as committee members Daniela De Ridder (Germany), Mehmet Sait Kirazoğlu (Türkiye), and David Stögmüller (Austria).
The OSCE parliamentarians emphasized that migration is a priority area for the OSCE PA, and that Moldova’s efforts in responding to the Ukrainian refugee crisis will help inform discussion within the Assembly as it develops policy guidelines aimed at enhancing migration governance. They stressed that the Moldovan people and government have shown remarkable solidarity with refugees since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began over one year ago, despite limited resources and pressing concerns.
The delegation met with Minister of Labour and Social Protection Alexei Buzu, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education Adriana Cazacu, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Jana Costachi, representatives of the Bureau of Migration and Asylum, Head of the Crisis Management Center Adrian Efros, Chair of the Parliament’s Committee on National Security, Defense and Public Order Lilian Carp, People’s Advocate for Children’s Rights Maia Bănărescu, Chişinău Mayor Ion Ceban, as well as the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, and Members of Moldova’s OSCE PA Delegation. In addition, the OSCE PA members met with representatives of an array of inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, including UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM, Center Resonance, and La Strada International Center. The delegation also visited a reception centre hosting primarily women and children as well as disabled persons from Ukraine.
This week’s visit to Moldova is the second field visit of the committee focusing on the Ukraine refugee situation, following up on the visit to the Czech Republic last December, to highlight the efforts of countries to welcome refugees and to grant them protection efficiently and with dignity. President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) also visited Moldova April 2022, together with OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey.
Photos of the visit are available on Flickr.
For more information on the work of the OSCE PA's Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, please click here.
