Chisinau – The ‘Awareness Raising for Labour Mobility to Bulgaria’ Project, jointly implemented by the IOM Missions in Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia and Moldova, was launched during an online opening event organised by the IOM Mission in Moldova, in cooperation with the Moldovan National Employment Agency, on 10 February 2022. The Project is financed under the Bulgarian National Programme, supported by Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2014-2020 of the European Union, and aims to contribute to safer and better managed labour mobility from Armenia, Georgia and Moldova to Bulgaria.

The Project’s main outcomes were presented during the event, attended by over 60 representatives of Moldovan local public authorities, civil society, representatives of Bulgarian and Moldovan Embassies, IOM Missions in Moldova, Bulgaria, Armenia and Georgia. Topical issues of advancing respect for migrants’ rights, dignity and well-being through a strong partnership between origin and destination countries were actively discussed.

H.E. Mr. Anatol Cebuc, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Republic of Bulgaria, highlighted the high relevance of Project’s activities, including from the perspective of supporting the implementation of the existing bilateral agreement on labour migration signed by the Republic of Moldova and Bulgaria, through broad information campaigns on the rights and obligations of Moldovan migrants working in Bulgaria.

In his address, Mr. Lars Lönnback, Chief of IOM Mission in Moldova, emphasised the importance of promoting Moldovan labour migrants’ well-informed decisions, including through information campaigns. “This would help address some of major concerns raised on regular basis by Moldovan labour migrants worldwide, such as eliminating and signalling unethical recruitment practices, practices of discrimination, verbal, physical, labour or sexual abuse and exploitation; accessing the basic rights in the destination country, capitalising on incentives of return and reintegration; valorising the existing options for repatriation of rights and assets obtained abroad,” Mr. Lars Lönnback added.

Mr. Todor Marinov, Head of Consular Section of the Bulgarian Embassy in Chisinau, in his turn, welcomed the implementation of the Labour Mobility Project, paying attention to the fact that the Bulgarian labour market seeks additional labour force, and rising awareness of the opportunities to work in Bulgaria will be supportive in this regard.

Ms. Raisa Dogaru, Director of the National Employment Agency, informed on the work to guide the Moldovan citizens on the opportunities of labour mobility to Bulgaria and briefed on the recent dynamics of the labour flows between Moldova and Bulgaria, which were affected by the travel restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In conclusion, Mr. Radoslav Stamenkov, IOM Bulgaria Head of Office, said: “The Project was developed with one vision in mind, the IOM’s vision, to protect migrants, optimise the benefits of labour migration for both countries of origin and destination as well as for the migrants themselves.”

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For more information, please contact: iomchisinau@iom.int