Less than a month into the official roll-out of the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum, ICMPD commits to support the implementation of one of the foremost reforms in European migration and asylum policy. Following its work with Member States in developing their National Implementation Plans (NIP), ICMPD has been working to align national systems and procedures with the requirements of the EU Pact on asylum procedures, border security, screening, Solidarity responsibility mechanisms, and protecting vulnerable persons.
Countries
Romania
Status
Completed
Duration
15.04.2025
to
14.06.2026
Funding
This project was funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by ICMPD, in cooperation with the European Commission
Summary
This project aimed to support Romania in implementing selected components of its National Implementation Plan across all ten Building Blocks of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Technical support was provided to the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) and the General Inspectorate for Border Police (GIBP), both operating under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA).
Adopted in May 2024, the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum established a common framework for managing migration and asylum across the EU. To support its implementation, the EC developed a Common Implementation Plan (CIP), based on which Romania designed and submitted its National Implementation Plan (NIP) in December 2024. To support Member States in implementing their NIPs, the EC’s Secretariat-General Reform and Investment Task Force (SG REFORM) offered technical support under the Technical Support Instrument (TSI). Within this framework, ICMPD supported Romania in implementing its NIP across all ten Building Blocks of the Pact, in line with national priorities and EU obligations.
Support delivered
The project provided targeted technical assistance to Romania in the field of migration and asylum, with the objective of supporting the implementation of all ten Building Blocks of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Key activities included the preparation and revision of the legal framework, support for the establishment of the Independent Fundamental Rights Monitoring Mechanism, and the testing of crisis preparedness and contingency planning through a large-scale simulation exercise. The project also supported the development of a national referral mechanism for vulnerable migrants and strengthened the capacity of Romanian authorities to manage EU migration funds.
All activities were implemented over a 14-month period in close cooperation with national authorities to ensure targeted support and national ownership.
Results achieved
The project contributed to strengthening Romania’s capacity to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum through:
- Improved alignment of the national legal framework with the requirements of the EU Pact
- Strengthened cooperation arrangements for the Independent Fundamental Rights Monitoring Mechanism
- Improved procedures for the identification and referral of vulnerable persons
- Enhanced preparedness for migration-related crises through contingency planning and a large-scale simulation exercise
- Improved understanding of good practices in the financial management of EU migration funds.
At the operational level, the project contributed to legal, institutional and operational reforms to strengthen Romania's preparedness to apply the new EU migration and asylum framework.