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MOST REFUGEES REGARD MOLDOVA AS TRANSIT COUNTRY
Question: How topical is the refugee problem for Moldova? Answer: I would not say this is too serious a problem here. Over the 10 years of the UNHCR Office’s activities in this republic, approximately 1.2 thousand people applied for asylum in this republic. And since the Moldovan Government’s undertaking international commitments in this sphere in January 2003, some 80 to 100 persons apply for asylum annually. On the whole, the number of refugees is decreasing in the world, and Moldova is no exception here.
Q: How many refugees are there here now, and why they preferred this republic?
A: At the moment, there are 86 registered asylum seekers, nearly 90 people having the refugee status, and 60 humanitarian protection beneficiaries. They have quitted their native countries for various reasons, the most common of them being political or religious persecution, problems related to their ethnicity, citizenship or their belonging to certain specific social groups. Many refugee status holders are going to remain in Moldova, though socio-economic conditions here are worse than in other European countries. Many refugees regard Moldova as a reliable country able to ensure a certain degree of stability to them, bearing in mind that such people came across serious problems in their home countries. It’s much better to live in a peaceful country, though not very reach, than in one constantly in a state of war, isn’t it?
Q: Sure. How true are the assertions that many refuges consider Moldova as a transit state?
A: It well may be that each of the people would like to get to a Western European country. Facts are indicating that, really, many regard us as a transit country. For example, out of the 266 people who had been recognized by the UNHCR Office as refugees before 2003, only 147 have remained in this republic. Besides them, another 150 or so have left Moldova on their own accord.
Q: What do the refugee status and the humanitarian protection beneficiary status pre-suppose?
A: People crossing the Moldovan border and applying for shelter are called ‘asylum seekers’. Elected councilors of the Refugee Department at the National Bureau for Migration and Asylum scrutinize their applications and arrive at a conclusion, on whose basis the National Bureau Director decides which status the applicants deserve. Refuges may not be sent back to their home countries, and they live under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Moldova. The Government is supposed to tackle their welfare and security problems. They enjoy all the rights and have the same duties as Moldova citizens, except the right to elect and be elected to country organs, and except the military service duty. The refugee status is granted for a certain limited period. The refuges receive special identification cards envisaged in the national passport system. After 8 years of legal residence here, refugees are eligible to apply for the Republic of Moldova citizenship. So far, however, not a single foreign refugee has received the citizenship yet. But there are quite many people who meet all the conditions for applying for the Moldovan citizenship. The humanitarian protection status is a form of extra protection envisaged by the 1951 Geneva Convention. This status is given when there exists danger that upon return home the refugee may be executed or subjected to inhuman, humiliating treatment, when the country concerned is in the state or war, or if human rights are grossly violated there. The humanitarian protection is provided for one year, after which it may be extended until the situation in the home country concerned has improved. If the refugee has received the humanitarian protection for 5 years, then he is eligible to apply for a permanent stay here.
Q: What are these countries?
A: Most of the immigrants here are from Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Chechnya Republic of the Russian Federation, the Middle East, and from African countries. Many refugees have already gone back home, seeing that things have improved there.
Q: What is the destiny of those who are denied asylum?
A: Nearly a hundred persons apply for asylum in Moldova every year, of whom approximately 30% receive the refugee status or the humanitarian protection status. By law, all the rest must quit this republic within 15 days.
Q: Could you please describe the assistance provided to refugees by the UNHCR Office and the Government of Moldova?
A: The Government runs a Center for accommodating asylum seekers that can provide shelter to 160 persons. The facility was built near the Chisinau Airport for the money provided by the UNHCR and the European Union, but its maintenance is on the Government. During the document examination period, asylum seekers live in the Center free of charge, and receive a 500-lei (44 US dollars) monthly allowance. Refuges recognized as socially vulnerable receive a same-size monthly allowance from the UNHCR funds. From the date of refugee status granting, the Government furnishes a monthly repayable loan in the amount of 200 lei (15 US dollars) during a period of maximum 6 months. Neither the UNHCR nor the Government of Moldova are able to provide refuges with permanent housing. Therefore, the most socially vulnerable of them are permitted to reside in the said Center for a short time. The UNHCR Office has several partners – non-governmental organizations that help refugees get quicker integrated into the society, find jobs, and study the Romanian language. Over the 10 years of the UNHCR’s activities in Moldova, the Country Office has invested over 4.8 million US dollars in the asylum system development here. The Office’s annual budget used for underpinning refuges is 350 thousand US dollars.
Q: Do refugees put forward any claims to the Moldovan Government?
A: Most claims are concerning passports that would enable the refugees to move freely in foreign countries. We have found finance sources in the European Union to pay the cost of such passports. We hope that first refugees will receive such documents before the end of this year.
Q: How perfect is the Moldovan legislation on refuges?
A: Overwhelmingly, our legislation is in line with international standards. In this region of Europe – I mean Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine that are under the auspices of the UNHCR Regional Office in Kiev – Moldova has the most advanced legislation of all. Moldova has created a substantially good legal frame to protect refuges, though the legislation enforcement leaves much to be desired. Proceeding from Moldova’s striving for Europe and from the need to harmonize the national legislation with European norms, the Government has decided to draft a new Law on shelter for refugees – a kind of document to be up to present-day requirements.
Q: How many Moldovans have applied for asylum abroad?
A: According to the data available with us, nearly 10 thousand Moldovans sought foreign asylum last several years, with the annual figure being 3-4 thousand people presently. As for the reasons, this is confidential information that is not available with the UNHCR Office at Moldova. Infotag: Thank you very much for your interview, Mr. Colun.
