The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FRONTEX Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the complaint mechanisms related to the actions carried out by the FRONTEX Agency in the Republic of Moldova based on the “Status Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova regarding the operational activities carried out by the FRONTEX Agency in the Republic of Moldova”, since the process of authorizing the crossing of the state border by FRONTEX officers at the Palanca-Maiaki-Udobnoe crossing point was launched.
The memorandum provides for the provision of bilateral cooperation with reference to the two coexisting complaint mechanisms and the exchange of information regarding allegations of violations of fundamental rights during all operational activities of the Agency on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
“We are firmly committed to ensuring that the fundamental rights of those who cross into the Republic of Moldova are respected. This was and is one of the priorities in the context of managing the refugee crisis triggered by the Russian aggression on Ukraine”, said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Adrian Efros.
The Minister emphasized the importance of the Complaints Resolution Mechanism, given the fact that it will serve to resolve complaints submitted in relation to alleged violations of fundamental rights committed by team members or any other member of the FRONTEX staff involved in the operation, while the Moldovan mechanism for resolving complaints will resolve complaints related to violations committed by representatives of institutions from the Republic of Moldova involved in the operational activities of the Agency.
We specify that, during the working visit of the FRONTEX delegation to our country, which takes place between 15 and 17 October this year, several bilateral meetings took place at the headquarters of the MIA, Border Police, as well as in the area of competence of the Police Sector of Tudora border, including at the common border crossing point Palanca-Maiaki-Udobnoe. During the meetings, the joint actions carried out so far at the state border were analyzed, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in the fight against illegal migration and other cross-border criminality. The expected goal being the alignment of specific activities with European standards and combating any type of cross-border criminality.