Moldova Refugee and Community Support Technical Assistance

About the project

The project supports three components that have been identified to support mid to long-term socio-economic integration of refugees in their host communities. These components are intended to complement each other in supporting the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) and other related government agencies at the national and local levels to provide improved support to refugees and host communities while also addressing key areas of refugee need and support to foreigners in Moldova more broadly.

These include:

1. improved access to the information needed on rights and services of refugees to make informed decisions;
2. strengthened social and economic integration of refugees in host community families with support of civil society organizations and Local Public Administrations (LPAs);
3. improved capacity of MoIA and other relevant national and local government agencies to address the needs of refugees, particularly the most vulnerable.

To the extent possible, each of these support areas aims to benefit both the refugee population as well as their host communities.

Project Development Objective (PDO)

The objective of the program is to build the capacity of the Government of Moldova to facilitate the socioeconomic integration of refugees and enhance social cohesion between refugees and host communities in collaboration with civil society organizations.

Project Implementation Status

The main outcomes to date have been achieved under Pillar 3, policy activities. This has included support to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in the preparation of the revised Law on Asylum and accompanying regulations for implementing reception conditions for asylum seekers as well as the draft Law on Foreigners. This policy and analytical work is continuing with support to MIA improvements to draft Law on Foreigners and preparation of regulations as well as support in the design of a new law on temporary protection for Ukrainians.

With signing of the two main contracts in the program, for awareness building on rights, responsibilities and services (Component 1) and capacity building for enhanced local integration in the three regions (Component 2), the pace of implementation is accelerating considerably. The three regional integration centers of General Inspectorate of Migration (GIM) are receiving technical support in enhanced local integration services and the national office of GIM is refining its communications approach on 15+ thematic packages on information to raise awareness of rights, responsibilities and services. With these two contracts underway, the achievement of results targets will begin to accelerate, especially support to direct beneficiaries, refugees/TP holders and host community members.
In addition to these two large contracts, work is progressing on the preparation of three learning modules for MIA and other government staff. These modules will be placed on the new e-learning platform launched by MIA as a core curriculum for Ministry staff. As the process of preparing and finalizing contract Terms of Reference (TORs) took longer than expected, Government has requested a 1-year extension to the closing date of the Program. MIA has also submitted a proposal for a second phase of GCFF exceptional grant support to further strengthen its integration of temporary protection holders under its upcoming, new legal framework, as well as broader support to integration of foreigners under the government’s National Program on the Phased Integration of Foreigners (2025–2027).

Component 1. Access to information for informed decision-making (from aide memoire, with additional updates)

Digitalization and communication of updated information for foreigners. The contract with BDR Associates for digitalization and communication services began implementation in November 2025. GIM has shared 15 draft thematic information packages including topics such as education, health, employment and others with BDR for editing, design, targeting and translation from Romanian into other 6 languages. This material will form the core of the communications campaign, including social media, traditional media, and a digital platform for sharing information on mobile devices and through MIA/GIM locations across the country. BDR is preparing a baseline study on the current effectiveness of the communications activities of MIA/GIM which will be used to monitor and eventually evaluate the success of communications activities under the project.

Romanian language training for displaced populations and other foreigners. Draft advice on regional best practices and pros and cons of digital options has been prepared. Further policy advice will be given based on the new evolutions – curently the Moldovan Ministry of Education has drafted and presented for public consultations the new 2026-2029 Strategy of teaching Romanian language for foreigners, so the WB team will present recommendations to MIA/GIM for optimal Romanian language integration. Access to Romanian language learning is also one of the 15 thematic information packages included in the communications activity.

Component 2. Local Integration, Economic Inclusion, and Social Cohesion

Support for the socio-economic integration of TP holders and other foreigners. A Moldovan NGO, Terre des hommes Moldova (TDH), has been contracted to improve the socioeconomic integration of displaced persons and host communities, with a focus on vulnerable groups like children, youth and families, through strengthened partnerships between GIM regional integration centers, civil society, and public service providers. A draft needs assessment of the materials, tools, and operational practices currently used by GIM and other relevant service providers has been completed. The needs assessment provides an overview of existing resources and materials, areas that are partially or insufficiently covered, and identifies which planned contract activities require updating, expansion, or methodological adaptation prior to rollout. This evidence base will inform sustainable solutions and strengthen GIM’s leadership in working with communities on the ground. Production and dissemination if planned for a publicly available summary of key recommendations for enhancement of local integration efforts, ensuring that other stakeholders are informed and engaged.

TDH is in the process of selecting local partners in each of the three regions to deliver activities designed to enhance social cohesion and socio-economic integration of children, youth, and families of displaced persons and host communities. These activities will support community-level interventions aimed at fostering social inclusion, strengthening resilience, and building positive relationships between migrant and refugee communities, including displaced persons, and host populations. One sub-activity will focus on enhancing economic opportunities and labor market integration for youth through targeted skills training delivered via interactive workshops. Another sub-activity will deepen social cohesion and inclusion through community engagement events that bring together migrants, refugees, displaced persons, and host communities.

Component 3. Policy Analysis and Capacity Building

Policy Analysis and Advisory Support: During Year 1, the team provided targeted technical support to drafting a new Law on Foreigners aligned with the EU acquis, introducing six permit categories that clarify pathways across skill levels: three work permits (seasonal workers, intra-corporate transfers, and highly skilled workers) and three study-oriented permits (researchers, students, and au pairs). The draft was released for public consultation and shared with the European Commission for feedback. Feedback from the EC was received in late December 2025 and the Bank will support GIM to address feedback and to develop related regulations, as needed.

The team supported the implementation of the revised Law on Asylum. A Government Decision was prepared and adopted, establishing both a mechanism to provide material reception conditions and a methodology to calculate their costs. The Decision was informed by the team’s clarification of EU standards, comparative country examples, and a minimum consumption basket costing approach. The revised law came into effect in January 2026. In connection with this support, a prior action on adoption of the law was included in the Moldova Supporting Economic Opportunities and Climate Transition Development Policy Operation (which is co-financed by GCFF) as a means of enhancing conditions for integration of vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees into Moldovan society and legally formalizing temporary protection status.
The team initiated a policy dialogue with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) on phasing out temporary protection; MIA will revert once data collection from re-registration of temporary protection holders is completed (target spring 2026). MIA has also requested technical assistance to prepare the Government Decision(s) to operationalize the new Law on Foreigners.

The team delivered two in person trainings to the General Inspectorate of Migration (GIM) staff on the mechanism for reception conditions (costing and operationalization). Three additional trainings were conducted (two in-person, one online) on interagency coordination for the new Law on Foreigners, with participation from MIA, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Economy to facilitate cross ministerial discussion.
E-learning courses for capacity building for MIA staff, other government officials and local authorities. Preparation of three e training modules is ongoing, integrating the recent legal changes, good practices and international and EU standards. The three e-learning modules include: (i) introduction to asylum and migration, (ii) intercultural communication and conflict resolution skills and (iii) building inclusive communities: social and economic integration. Modules (i) and (ii) are currently in draft form. The Bank team will deliver draft modules by end-January, organize peer review in February, finalize content in March/April through internal Bank peer review, and support launch in early May. CEPOL’s LEEd e-platform (recently handed over by CEPOL to MIA) will be used to host and maintain the modules.

English language training for MIA staff. English language courses are being provided by IELTC NGO, the only Moldovan provider of Foreign Languages accredited with the Ministry of Education – for 20 MIA and IGM staff. Staff includes priority sectors from Centre, North and South regions, and a diversity of specialists working on migration. The increasing challenges on managing foreigner and migration policy in the past few years requires staff to enhanced their English skills.

Implementation challenges/ lessons learned identified during Year 2 of implementation:

• As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, an estimated 130,000+ Ukrainians are residing in Moldova for varying lengths of time. As this is also the case across Europe, the EU is preparing to phase out TP and transition TP holders into a range of regularized legal arrangements in line with the September 2025 EU Council recommendation (2025/0651(NLE)). As it is on the path to EU accession, Moldova is following the EU’s lead and preparing a national legal framework for temporary protection drawing on experience from across the region. The team will support MIA/GIM in preparation of this legal framework drawing on lessons across Europe and elsewhere including the MENA and LAC regions.
• – As humanitarian assistance in support of refugees and TP holders continues to decline, the Moldovan government lacks the fiscal space to compensate for such reductions, exposing a gap in the need for resources to facilitate local integration. Significant portions of the TP population remain economically inactive, limiting their contribution to the economy while making use of state resources for education and social services for children and vulnerable groups, in particular. The team is assessing resource needs for social services as well as most viable alternatives for enhancing economic activity of refugees and TP holders.
• Reliable, disaggregated data on the displaced population are only now being collected, which influences forward-looking policy planning. The team will deepen analysis of Moldova’s displacement dynamics and prepare an analytical note to share lessons on managing mass displacement data under resource constraints.

Relevant Documents:

• Program Information Document (PID)
• World Bank Project Information Page
• Moldova Refugee and Community Support Technical Assistance Concept Note