The follow-up Assessment Report on Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) for the Republic of Moldova, elaborated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and public institutions with competences in the field of migration, was presented and technically endorsed at the level of experts during the Conference organised by MIA and IOM Moldova on 30 September 2021.

The conference chaired by the State Secretary of MIA and the IOM Moldova Migration and Development Program Coordinator reunited as many as 20 representatives of relevant ministries and public agencies.

In her address, Jana Costachi highlighted the importance of the assessment for its integrated approach, allowing for each public institution to assess own activities and define its future priorities, including in the context of elaboration of the new Migration and Asylum Strategy.

On his turn, Ghenadie Cretu emphasised the importance of the Report from the perspective of its potential capacity of informing the process of elaboration of public policies through a progress review in the field of migration governance at national level by applying 94 MGI indicators, identifying new areas for improvement, and supporting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals.
The most significant progress was achieved by the Republic of Moldova in terms of improved regulations on the access of foreigners to medical services; implementation of new regulations on recognition and validation of studies, non-formal and informal competencies acquired abroad; liberalisation of the labour market for foreigners in Moldova; implementation of a new methodology on assessing international migration in line with international standards, and estimation of population with normal residence.
The Report highlights the developments with regard to 8 bilateral agreements signed on labour force migration and 16 bilateral agreements on social security as well as the key-areas with potential for development, such as review and renewal of bilateral agreements on allocation of pensions, signed in accordance with the principle of territoriality; enhancement of cooperation on data exchange with the institutions managing migration databases, and strengthening cooperation among the National Bureau for Statistics, the General Border Police Inspectorate, the Public Services Agency, etc.

As regards valorisation of migration for development, it specifies the opportunity of strengthening diaspora cooperation framework, its involvement in country’s development by making full use of material resources and diaspora’s human capital, as well as of developing programmes and incentives for attracting qualified returning migrants or foreign university graduates; inclusion of foreigners, asylum seekers, mixed families, refugees and stateless persons in Moldova’s development.