Between 21-24 October 2025, the General Inspectorate for Migration hosted a Twinning mission focused on assessing the implementation of the temporary protection mechanism in the Republic of Moldova. The activity took place within the EU-funded project “Strengthening the capacity of the General Inspectorate for Migration to implement migration and asylum legislation in line with the EU acquis.”

The mission brought together experts from Greece, including Chrysanthi Avloniti and Konstantinos Koulaxidis, short-term experts (STEs), and Milan Bobic, the Resident Twinning Adviser from Sweden, the lead country of the implementation consortium. Representatives from the IGM, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other relevant Moldovan ministries - Education, Culture and Research; Labour and Social Protection; Health, as well as international partners such as UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, and UNFPA, also took part.

The purpose of the mission was to evaluate how the temporary protection mechanism is applied in Moldova, in accordance with Directive 2001/55/EC, and to identify opportunities for improvement, including future application perspectives and transition measures for a potential gradual phase-out of the mechanism.

During four days mission, experts conducted a thorough review of the national legal and procedural framework, including the legal basis, eligibility criteria, duration and reception conditions, as well as registration, documentation, and protection content. The mission also addressed social integration mechanisms for beneficiaries, with a focus on access to education, healthcare, and the labor market, as well as the situation of vulnerable groups.

The agenda included working visits to the IGM headquarters and regional directorates, as well as technical sessions and interinstitutional consultations, offering a detailed overview of Moldova’s experience in implementing temporary protection.

A key moment of the mission was the joint session held on 24 October, attended by representatives of UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, and UNFPA, where participants discussed findings, challenges, and recommendations for strengthening the national framework and ensuring an effective transition process.

The IGM leadership emphasized the importance of this activity for enhancing the institution’s capacity to manage temporary protection efficiently and for advancing Moldova’s progress toward EU integration.

The Twinning Project is implemented by a consortium of EU Member States Sweden (lead), Greece, and Romania and aims to strengthen IGM’s institutional and operational capacity to align with the EU standards under Chapter 24: “Justice, Freedom and Security.”