118,853 free-of-charge legal counselling and assistance provided for beneficiaries, 320 visits to monitor the respect of foreigners’ rights at border crossing points – these are the figures reflecting the work of the Law Centre of Advocates (CDA) carried out in 2022 under the partnership agreement with UNHCR.
During the reference period, within the framework of the partnership with UNHCR, members of the CDA team carried out 24 monitoring visits to reception and detention conditions in all facilities under the supervision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
44 applicants for stateless status, stateless persons, and persons at risk of becoming stateless received free of charge legal counselling and assistance from CDA lawyers.
CDA trainers conducted 17 trainings for representatives of border police, personnel of detention and accommodation center, child protection authorities on refugee law; facilitate capacity building for judges, public defenders, government personnel.
CDA identified and resolved in court or through strategic litigation six cases related to refugee status determination.
CDA maintained close communication with beneficiaries through the “hotline” and online applications, which enabled prompt intervention in cases referred by them.
To address the needs arising from the war in Ukraine, with UNHCR support, CDA created 46 new counsellor positions to provide legal advice, assistance and guidance to refugees, displaced persons from Ukraine in accommodation centres and private households, and at border crossings.
CDA created new 46 lawyers position which monitor borders and provide legal counselling and assistance and guidance.
To support and provide expertise to the Government Crisis Cell, Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, Chisinau Municipality, CDA seconded consultants for the positions requested by these institutions.
CDA supported the community initiative of “V. Suhomlinski” Lyceum on teaching Romanian to refugees from Ukraine and settled in Edinet, Balti, Ungheni, hiring teachers and providing the necessary materials for the teaching process.
CDA has been cooperating with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) since 1998 and is the only legal partner of UNHCR in the Republic of Moldova. The UN Refugee Agency is the core funder of CDA’s projects in the fields of asylum, migration, statelessness, and integration of foreigners.
On 18 January 2023, the Representative of the UN Refugee Agency in the Republic of Moldova, Francesca Bonelli, and the Executive Director of CDA, Oleg Palii, signed the 25th cooperation agreement between UNHCR Moldova and CDA.
The partnership between CDA and UNHCR provides for cooperation on legal assistance during the refugee status determination procedure, stateless status determination procedure, integration process; monitoring in the field of protection, border crossing points and detention facilities; support to lawyers, judges, academic society, policy makers and other professionals.
