On 5 September, the CareFor project delivered a psychology training for the administrative staff of the reception centres of the Inspectorate-General for Migration and the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova. As part of the project “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor), the event was aimed at equipping the beneficiaries with an understanding of the psychology essentials required when working with migrants.
The Inspectorate-General for Migration runs two temporary accommodation centres in Chisinau. The Refugee Reception Centre hosts asylum seekers waiting for their protection granting decision. The Migrants Accommodation Centre is a public custody facility that hosts foreigners waiting for their return home. There are some additional reception centres across the country, including the one run by the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova – a partner in the project. Due to various circumstances, including difficulties related to proper documentation, the waiting of the residents can last for months, which poses risks to the mental health and well-being of the residents.
Thanks to the CareFor project, the mentioned Centres have been benefiting from regular visits of a licenced psychologist offering counselling to its residents throughout project implementation. In the process, it became evident that the staff administering the respective Centres would similarly benefit from key psychology knowledge required for handling the challenges of working with migrants. Thus, this training was called to equip the relevant administrative staff with specific psychological tools and techniques based on the experience and lessons learned accrued throughout the assignment of the project psychologist. The training topics included specifics of working with migrants, personal, cultural and linguistic barriers, first psychological help, and protecting own mental health. The event was also joined by operators from the IGM’s Call Centre who face similar challenges in working with migrants.
The project “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor), funded by the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration, aims to contribute to a functioning and human rights compliant migration management system in Moldova while addressing some of the more immediate needs caused by the unprecedented inflow of displaced people from Ukraine.