The Republic of Moldova and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) have signed a Roadmap for cooperation in the field of asylum and the reception of persons seeking international protection. The document was signed in Malta by Minister of Internal Affairs Daniella Misail-Nichitin and EUAA Executive Director Nina Gregori, on the sidelines of international meetings on migration and asylum.
The signing ceremony was also attended by Vice-President of the European Parliament Antonella Sberna and Silvia Michelini, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs.
The Roadmap establishes a framework for cooperation over the next three years, with a clear objective: to further align Moldova’s asylum system with EU standards and strengthen the state’s capacity to manage migration and international protection effectively, fairly, swiftly and predictably.
For Moldova, this means access to European expertise, clearer procedures, better-trained professionals and stronger institutional capacity to respond effectively, including when the number of people seeking international protection increases rapidly. Cooperation with the EUAA also directly supports Moldova’s European integration process, particularly its commitments under Chapter 24 – Justice, Freedom and Security.
For citizens, a well-organised asylum system means clear rules, greater predictability and stronger state capacity to manage pressures on borders, public services and accommodation facilities. It also reduces the need to address increased migration pressures through ad hoc responses. The Roadmap provides, among other things, for support in aligning legislation with European standards, improving asylum procedures, training specialists, strengthening capacity to respond to large-scale migration flows, improving reception conditions, and ensuring greater attention to children and other vulnerable persons.
The Roadmap will also enable Moldova to draw on the experience of EU Member States and lessons learned from the implementation of the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum. It is designed as a flexible framework, allowing priorities to be adjusted throughout the three-year period in response to migration trends, Moldova’s evolving needs and the different stages of the EU accession process.
Through this cooperation, Moldova is moving beyond legislative alignment towards the practical implementation of European standards in asylum and migration management.
