Advancing rights-based border management across Moldova’s regions

The sessions centered on the findings of the Ombudsman Office’s thematic report¹ on the accommodation conditions for detained migrants and asylum seekers at Border Crossing Points, which was published in February.

The Ombudsman’s report highlights recommendations to clarify institutional responsibilities around detention, improve coordination mechanisms, upgrade facilities, ensure proportional use of detention, and safeguard asylum seekers from premature returns.

The event, organised under the SCOP project on 12 March 2026 in Chisinau, gathered heads and staff of border agencies of the North, South, East, West, and Chisinau Airport directorates. Participants examined real-life case studies from various border crossing points to ensure a shared understanding of typical human rights issues; and consistent, dignified handling across the country. Both the Ombudsman Office and the Border Police expressed interest in continuing such workshops, allowing the [Ombudsman] to feed operational feedback into future monitoring reports.

Funded by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and implemented by ICMPD, the Support to the Complex Improvement of Migration and Border Management in Moldova (SCOP) project supports Moldovan authorities in enhancing migration and border management systems in line with the EU acquis. It contributes to building the resilience of Moldova’s Border Police and improving their ability to respond to crisis situations. 

¹ _{The full report (in Romanian) may be accessed here}