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

Since this Bank-executed grant was activated in June 2024, two core consultants have been hired to support overall program work, one based in Washington, DC and the other in Chisinau. Two field missions have been conducted, one of which concluded on February 4, 2025.

Progress has been made on each of the three program components: (i) access to information for informed decision making, (ii) local integration and social-economic inclusion and cohesion, as well as (iii) policy analysis and capacity building for improved refugee and foreigner support.

Component 1 – MIA has formed an interministerial working group to provide displaced populations and other foreigners with upto-date, and disability inclusive, information material and practical guidance on the different legal statuses, rights, and services. It will help the beneficiaries, particularly newcomers, find services and address imminent needs as well as support those who have been in the country for longer to make informed decisions and plan their long-term stay and integration. This content is in draft form and TORs are under preparation for dissemination, content digitalization, translation in different languages and accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Progress is also being made in providing displaced populations and other foreigners with 24/7 access to Romanian language courses through an online platform. The aim is to remove language barriers, which continue to pose a significant barrier particularly in accessing employment and other services. The Bank is preparing a note mapping the available Romanian language courses for displaced populations and other foreigners in Moldova, proposing options for MIA to consider, including language trainings based on promising practices from other EU States.

 

Component 2 – The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MLSP) is being supported to develop an integrated case management system for the provision of social services for displaced populations and other foreigners as well as the entire Moldova population/host community. Its importance lies in that it will ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of referrals and the direct provision of social services to those in need. It will also improve systematic collection and analysis of data on displaced populations and other foreigners which are currently not adequately disaggregated by legal status. Bank staff are currently providing support, and a specialist consultant will be hired shortly to support this work on an ongoing basis within MLSP.

Another activity under implementation will support civil society organizations in implementing sustainable services that will promote the socio-economic integration of displaced persons and foreigners in the three regions. A lead CSO in each region will be supported to: (a) strengthen collaboration between integration centers and local NGOs; (b) increase the capacity of local NGOs to respond to the needs of displaced people; and (c) strengthen linkages between integration centers and public services providers (e.g. social assistance and employment services), including improved information sharing across agencies).

 

Component 3 – The Government recently amended its national asylum legislation (Law No 270/2008). Two critical changes were introduced: a) the possibility to extend the Temporary Protection status, on an annual basis, for an unlimited period. This creates an even more compelling need to establish sustainable policies and provide legal channels for long term integration; b) the provision of material reception conditions (housing, means of subsistence, and daily expenses allowance), for the first time, to all asylum seekers in need, with additional standards foreseen for those with special reception needs. MIA is, therefore, being supported in properly planning and budgeting for the provision of material reception conditions to all asylum-seekers in Moldova who lack the means of subsistence, and additional guarantees for vulnerable applicants with special needs, in line with international standards. Although the number of asylum-seekers is currently low, it sets the necessary systems in place for a potentially significantly increase when temporary protection is discontinued. In addition, it contributes to Moldova’s economic growth, as the establishment of a sustainable asylum reception system is one of the requirements for Moldova’s accession to the EU.

Through the provision of international consulting support, the Bank is also supporting MIA in establishing a new legal framework regulating the stay and access to services for foreigners, in line with international standards, and as part of Moldova’s requirements for its accession to the EU. This activity is important as it implements a strategic component of Moldova’s Phased Integration Strategy. Furthermore, it supports the long-term integration of both foreigners and displaced populations, as it provides them with legal channels to change their residence status and pursue long-term stay in Moldova.

Terms of Reference have also been agreed on the development online training to build the knowledge, skills and attitudes of frontline officers and operational staff in MIA and other government agencies who come in daily contact with displaced populations and other foreigners. The recent changes in the asylum law, and the forthcoming changes in the law on foreigners, have added a new urgency to the implementation of this activity. Three online training courses will be developed focusing on: (a) asylum/migration, (b) cultural orientation/conflict resolution, and (c) discrimination/xenophobia.

 

Implementation challenges identified during first 6 months:

• The program thematic area requires very significant donor coordination of technical assistance related to refugees; mix of humanitarian and development approaches, multiple stakeholders, specialized working groups, significant inter-ministerial coordination on social-economic policies etc.
• Key beneficiary/ client had initially a priority interest in support for the Accommodation Center for Foreigners, for a series of expenditures not eligible for World Bank (ex. medical and some of humanitarian character); this required time and attention to manage key partner expectations;
• Experimental format of program implementation: the beneficiary applied for this technical assistance program, while choosing a bank executed program instead of a PIU (citing overloaded capacity for own implementation), which poses several challenges periodically.
• The secondary stakeholder Ministry of Labor and Social protection initially had low interest in the social-economic integration of refugees’ component; now subject for program re-evaluation – the identification of a suitable program deliverables and activities is under way;
• The Ministry of Internal Affairs has multiple parallel humanitarian refugee projects to coordinate (over 200), and have limited capacity to review and approve specific deliverables fast; this sometimes requires longer consultation/ approval times;
• All projects on migration in EU Candidate countries require close communication between the WB and the EU delegation, as well as UNHCR and other donors/ stakeholders.

Relevant Documents:

• Program Information Document (PID)
• World Bank Project Information Page