- Implementation Support Agency (ISA): World Bank
- Total project financing: $1.50 million
- Funding from GCFF: $1.50 million
- GCFF Financing Approval Date: 06/10/2024
- % Disbursed: 24.8%
- Status: Under implementation
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:
- improved access to the information needed on rights and services of refugees to make informed decisions;
- strengthened social and economic integration of refugees in host community families with support of civil society organizations and Local Public Administrations (LPAs);
- 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
Activated in June 2024, supports Moldova’s response to refugee needs and integration through three components: access to information, socio-economic inclusion, and policy/capacity development. The program operates in a shifting context marked by reduced donor funding, Moldova’s upcoming September 2025 elections, and the approaching March 2026 end of temporary protection status for Ukrainian refugees. Against this backdrop, the program is helping Moldovan institutions prepare for longer-term solutions, balancing humanitarian and development approaches while aligning with EU integration goals.
Component 1 has focused on improving access to information for refugees and foreigners. An inter-ministerial working group, led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), has prepared 15 thematic information packages on legal status, rights, and services, with plans to expand to 18 packages in multiple languages for dissemination from November 2025 to February 2026. The Bank has also provided analytical support on language integration, offering options based on regional practices to strengthen refugees’ and foreigners’ ability to participate in Moldovan society.
Components 2 and 3 target integration and institutional capacity. Under Component 2, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MLSP) is developing an integrated case-management system for social services, while a contract to enhance socio-economic inclusion through regional integration centers and civil society will be launched in September 2025. Component 3 supports reforms to Moldova’s asylum law (amended January 2025), introducing indefinite extensions of temporary protection and material reception conditions for asylum seekers, aligning with EU standards. The Bank is also assisting MIA with the National Plan of Phased Integration of Foreigners (2025–2027) and developing three e-learning courses on asylum, cultural orientation, and anti-discrimination for frontline staff. These reforms lay the foundation for sustainable refugee integration and support Moldova’s EU accession trajectory, though coordination challenges and donor alignment remain key lessons from the first year of implementation.