What legal regimes for legal stay in the Republic of Moldova are provided by the government to IDPs from Ukraine, and what are the main conditions and documents for obtaining temporary protection or refugee status for these persons?

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The government of the Republic of Moldova provides forced migrants from Ukraine with the opportunity to utilize legal regimes for legal residence on its territory.

Temporary protection

This is an exceptional mechanism to provide immediate and temporary protection to persons who meet the eligibility criteria.

Temporary protection can be granted to the following categories of individuals:

· Ukrainian citizens who resided in Ukraine before February 24, 2022;

· Ukrainian citizens who were on the territory of the Republic of Moldova before February 24, 2022;

· Persons without citizenship who enjoyed national protection in Ukraine before February 24, 2022;

· Citizens of third countries, other than Ukraine, who enjoyed international or national protection in Ukraine before February 24, 2022 and cannot safely return to their country or region of origin;

· Family members of the above-mentioned individuals.

The necessary documents for obtaining temporary protection include:

· Identitу documents issued in Ukraine;

· Confirmation of residence in the Republic of Moldova;

· Civil status documents (if necessary, for family members and children).

Important! To apply for temporary protection, you must be present in the country and have a Moldovan phone number.

The temporary protection status grants the right to:

· Reside on the territory of the Republic of Moldova for a specified period (until March 1, 2024);

· Work;

· Have access to accommodation in accommodation centers;

· Receive primary and emergency medical assistance;

· Access education for children;

· Social assistance services.

In addition to temporary protection, it is also possible to obtain refugee status in the Republic of Moldova.

Individuals who can apply for refugee status include those who:

1. Due to well-founded fears of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, political beliefs, are outside their country of citizenship and cannot or do not want to avail themselves of the protection of that country due to such fears; or

2. Individuals without citizenship who, as a result of similar events, are outside their country of former residence and cannot or do not want to return to it due to such fears.

You can submit an application for asylum to the Bureau of Migration and Asylum, border crossing points, police stations, penitentiary institutions (structures of the Department of Penitentiary Institutions of the Ministry of Justice), or the temporary detention unit.

Important! You can apply for asylum only during your stay on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. Filing such an application from abroad is not possible. To start the application process, the first step is to express your desire to seek protection in Moldova. Then you will need to fill out a form. Once you submit your application, you become an asylum seeker and receive a temporary identity document. For more details on the subsequent steps to complete the refugee status application process, please refer to the following link.

Refugee status allows individuals to remain in the country and provides free access to:

· Social security system (such as disability benefits, pensions, unemployment benefits);

· Primary and secondary education;

· Medical insurance system;

· Socio-cultural adaptation programs (learning about values and national traditions, the country's political and administrative organization);

· State language courses;

· Information and consultancy on accessing the job market.

Ukrainian citizens can also obtain a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Moldova. To obtain this permit, individuals should have specific reasons for obtaining it, such as family reunification, official employment, studying at a higher educational institution, receiving medical treatment in the Republic of Moldova, and more. The required documents and the application process for obtaining a temporary residence permit vary significantly depending on the grounds for obtaining it. For more details about each specific case, you can refer to the following link.