Chisinau, 10 April 2024. Minister of Interior Adrian Efros met with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency representative in the Republic of Moldova, Francesca Bonelli, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to continue the collaboration between the two institutions.
During the encounter, the officials discussed the current situation of refugees in the Republic of Moldova, with a focus on the measures needed to ensure their appropriate protection and assistance. The discussions centered around ensuring these individuals receive the necessary services, underscoring the vital role of international cooperation and collaboration with other countries and organizations.
Furthermore, the need to improve legal and policy frameworks for the protection of refugees and to promote sustainable solutions for their integration into local communities was also addressed.
The Memorandum sets the stage for a comprehensive partnership, covering areas such as refugee assistance and protection, information management, emergency preparedness, and response coordination, alongside institutional capacity building.
Key priorities include devising medium and long-term assistance programs to seamlessly integrate displaced persons from Ukraine into local communities, facilitating voluntary repatriation programs with the assistance of UNHCR and IOM, and bolstering infrastructure and capacities for refugee reception and protection.
“The signing of this memorandum marks an important step in strengthening the partnership between our institutions and in supporting those affected by the conflict in Ukraine”, stressed Minister Adrian Efros.
“UNHCR’s collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs is key to keep providing support to refugees and the Moldovans who warmly host them, to integrate them into the society, and we hope to equip them with all means necessary to make this possible”, said Francesca Bonelli.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and UNHCR have shown their openness to continue working together to address the urgent needs of refugees and to promote their social and economic inclusion in Moldova.
