On 13 July, ICMPD organised a workshop for Moldovan stakeholders as part of the project “Development of a Forced-Return Monitoring System in the Republic of Moldova” (FReMM) to discuss the key elements of a management framework for the country’s emerging system of forced-return monitoring. The workshop gathered management-level representatives from the Moldovan Bureau for Migration and Asylum, People’s Advocates Office of Moldova, the NGO Law Centre of Advocates, as well as ICMPD project and expert team.
Forced-return monitoring is aimed at documenting human rights compliance during the removal operations to and from the country with a view to increase transparency and accountability in the process where the human rights of returnees could be at stake. Moldova has only recently embarked on building a national forced-return monitoring system, and is currently working towards developing its legislative and procedural framework. The objective of the workshop was to help this effort by discussing and agreeing on relevant aspects concerning the scope of monitoring, the overall mandate, organizational structure, and responsibilities of stakeholders involved.
The workshop triggered further discussions among participants on more specific aspects such as work modalities and workflows, selection, training, and deployment of monitors, budgetary framework, and inter-agency communication and information sharing. Participants will continue these consultations in line with the FReMM work plan throughout the project implementation, with the view to present a final forced-return management framework by the end of the year.
The FReMM project is supporting the relevant stakeholders to (1) strengthen the legal/institutional framework relevant to forced-return monitoring, (2) increase the capacities of the relevant institutions to monitor forced-return operations, and (3) contributing to the effective communication and cooperation between the return enforcing institutions and the monitoring bodies. The project is implemented by ICMPD, and is funded by the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration.