In the face of an unprecedented influx of refugees, the Moldovan authorities managed to mobilise resources and join efforts in an outstanding response to provide immediate assistance to those fleeing Ukraine.
In her recent report, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, Leyla Kayacik, addresses the needs of the 85 000 refugees, mostly women and children from Ukraine, who remained in the country. The Council of Europe offers support and expertise to the authorities and other stakeholders in the identification of persons in a vulnerable situation arriving from Ukraine. The relevant stakeholders should monitor the situation and needs of refugees living in private accommodation or in centres, and assess their vulnerability to violence, abuse, exploitation and human trafficking, in line with Council of Europe and other relevant international standards and tools.
In close co-operation with international organisations and other partners, the Council of Europe proposes to mobilise further know-how and expertise to support the competent entities in charge of providing protection to unaccompanied and separated migrant and refugee children, through training those in contact with them. Further assistance is also offered to enhance access to services and facilitate the provision of language support for refugees - adult and children - through the use of Council of Europe guidelines and tools, and the training of educators.
The report identifies areas where the Council of Europe can assist in dealing with current challenges, in line with its tools and standards as outlined in the Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025).
Furthermore, the project “Strengthening the human rights protection of refugees and migrants in the Republic of Moldova” will be launched this autumn, at the initiative of the Special Representative and taking into account the needs identified in the visit and the requests made by the Moldovan authorities. This fully-fledged two-year project aims, among others, to build resilient migration, asylum and reception systems in the long term.
The Special Representative visited the Republic of Moldova on 13-14 June 2022.
