The European Union supports the strengthening of the Republic of Moldova’s capacities in the field of migration and asylum
With the support of the European Union, the General Inspectorate for Migration (GIM) has strengthened its capacities to manage migration and asylum, including by developing its procedural framework, training staff and adopting European good practices. These results were achieved under the Twinning project “Strengthen the capacities of the General Inspectorate for Migration for the implementation of the migration management and asylum legislation in line with EU acquis”, implemented by the General Inspectorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs between April 2025 and September 2026. The project, with a budget of EUR 1.25 million, was provided by the European Union and carried out in partnership with Sweden, Romania and Greece.
The project supported the development of GIM’s procedural framework and professional competences in the field of migration and asylum management, as well as the adoption of European good practices.
“A project should not be measured solely by what it delivers during its implementation period, but by what remains within the institution after it comes to an end. What remains are procedures, knowledge and tools. More importantly, however, what remains is people’s capacity to carry the reform forward.
The Republic of Moldova is at a decisive stage on its European path. Accession to the European Union means not only aligning legislation, but also building institutions capable of applying European standards every day.
I would like to thank the Delegation of the European Union for its support and trust, our partners from Sweden, Romania and Greece for the expertise and openness they have provided, and, in particular, our colleagues from the General Inspectorate for Migration for their work and commitment,” said Diana Salcuțan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“The Twinning project is a clear example of European solidarity in action, turning shared commitments into tangible progress in migration and asylum reform under Chapter 24 in the Republic of Moldova. As the country moves forward on its path towards EU membership, the results achieved through this joint effort provide a strong foundation for resilient institutions and lasting cooperation,” stated Frederik Coene, Head of Cooperation Section, Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.
The support provided through the project targeted areas of importance for GIM’s work, such as asylum, temporary protection, legal migration and the stay of foreigners, family reunification, integration of foreigners, case management for vulnerable persons and unaccompanied minors, crisis preparedness, digitalisation and interoperability of processes, personal data protection, and preparation for the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
For his part, the Head of the General Inspectorate for Migration, Mr Dumitru Lazăr, highlighted the value of direct cooperation with experts from the partner states and its contribution to the professional development of GIM staff.
“The Twinning gave us not only experience and knowledge but, most importantly, it brought us experts with whom we had the opportunity to work and learn together. We had by our side colleagues and experts from the three countries involved in the project – Romania, Greece and Sweden. This cooperation allowed us to draw on the experience of our European partners and relate it to the realities and needs of our institution,” said Dumitru Lazăr.
Over the course of the project, 11 assessments and analyses, 19 workshops, 3 training activities and 8 study visits to partner states were carried out. In addition, 25 Standard Operating Procedures were developed or revised, providing a clearer and more coherent framework for institutional processes and for the day-to-day work of the General Inspectorate for Migration. These activities helped strengthen staff competences and facilitated the direct exchange of experience and good practices with counterpart institutions in European Union Member States.
GIM expresses its gratitude to the European Union and the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, as well as to its partners from Sweden, Romania and Greece for the support, expertise and commitment provided throughout the implementation of the project.
Background
The project “Strengthen the capacities of the General Inspectorate for Migration for the implementation of the migration management and asylum legislation in line with EU acquis” was implemented between April 2025 and September 2026, with a total budget of EUR 1,250,000, funded by the European Union and implemented by the General Inspectorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova. The implementing partners are the Swedish Migration Agency, as lead partner, the General Inspectorate for Immigration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania, as well as the Centre of International and European Economic Law and the Ministry of Migration and Asylum of the Hellenic Republic.
