According to the definition, an asylum seeker is a person who has arrived in another country and seeks the protection of the state he or she has just entered, because they cannot return to their country of origin due to serious risks to life or freedom. These are serious risks related to war, political persecution, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation discrimination or other similar reasons. By placing an alien in the asylum system, the government accepts that the country from which the alien comes is unable or unwilling to provide the protection they need, and offers them the possibility to remain on the territory for his or her own safety.

In the Republic of Moldova, the law stipulates that a person can apply for asylum if he or she meets certain selection criteria. These are the main rules you need to consider as a foreigner or stateless person seeking for asylum:

You experience the fear of persecution - you must show that there is a well-founded fear of persecution in your country of origin on the ground of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

You are at a serious risk - if someone is at risk of being subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or unjust punishment in their country of origin, they can apply for asylum in Moldova.

You are coming from a conflict zone - people coming from a region affected by war or generalized violence can also apply for asylum.

You are in a special situation - in certain cases, children or vulnerable persons (such as those with disabilities) may benefit from special protection, with access to faster procedures and additional support.

Applications for asylum can be submitted at any of the territorial offices of the General Inspectorate for Migration, at border crossing points, police bodies and other institutions – follow this link for the detailed asylum application procedure.

Once the application has been submitted, the General Inspectorate for Migration will carefully review the situation and decides whether or not to offer the protection requested. During this period, the applicant is entitled to medical care, accommodation and access to legal advice.

Asylum is a fundamental right for those fleeing danger and seeking safety. And if your application has been rejected, it does not mean that you have done anything illegal, only that you have not met the strict criteria to prove that you are in need of one of the four forms of protection offered by the Moldovan asylum system - refugee status, humanitarian protection, temporary protection or political asylum.

For more details, please do not hesitate to contact the General Inspectorate for Migration's Green Line at 080001527.