On 19 July, ICMPD organised a training for the relevant staff of the recently-established Moldovan Inspectorate for Migration as part of the project “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor). The training also gathered communication specialists from other agencies such as the Border Police and the Ministry of Interior's central apparatus.
Moldova’s key migration agency has been going through a reorganisation process which resulted in establishing the Inspectorate-General for Migration early this year. The process involved strengthening its communication capacity among others. The objective of the event was to train the newly-employed staff from its communication unit, call centre, and regional offices. In addition, media officers from the Border Police and the Ministry of Interior’s central apparatus have also been engaged with the training for a mutually beneficial exchange of experience.
Migration is a multifaceted and sensitive area, and communication on migration requires specific skills, knowledge, and approaches. The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in neighbouring Ukraine amplified the discussion on migration in the Moldovan public space and the need for more careful and sensitive reporting. The training thus addressed specific topics concerning communication on migration such as fighting misinformation, xenophobia, and anti-migrant narratives, partnering with migrant communities for trust-building, effective social media management, crisis communication, campaigning and advocacy. The trainer is a reputed national expert from the NGO Independent Journalism Centre previously involved with the MOMENTA 2 (Migration Media Training Academy) project. Therefore the training drew largely upon the Handbook on Reporting Migration developed within the mentioned project. Based on the training feedback, the expert will develop a tailored toolkit on communication to serve the Inspectorate beyond the project completion.
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.