Of this amount, 133.7 million lei should be allocated from the state budget. External assistance is expected to be allocated 63.9 million lei, while another 18 million lei will be jointly financed from the state budget and from abroad. The lion’s share of the Program’s budget – 401.7 million lei – is still without a source of coverage.
The information note to the draft says: “The responsible bodies and institutions are to ensure the inclusion of the actions set out in the Action Plan for the Program’s implementation in the sectoral expenditure strategies. At the same time, a significant part of the costs will be covered by international support programs, including contributions from such organizations as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response, EU funds and other partner structures, which will make it possible to reduce the burden on the state budget”.
The Moldovan authorities have adapted our country’s regulatory framework to the EU standards with regard to the application of protection measures to foreigners arriving in the Republic of Moldova in a regulated and orderly manner, and have assumed certain obligations.
It is necessary to take into account that over the last 10 years there have been significant changes in migration flows, they have become more intensive. Immigration to Moldova has been constantly growing in recent years. If at the end of 2021 there were 173 people with refugee status living in our country, then, as of December 31, 2024, 84.9 thousand people have registered for temporary protection. Among them there are not only Ukrainians, but also from other countries (of course, much less). This increase is a consequence of the military conflict in Ukraine.
The Program adopted by the Government is aimed at facilitating the gradual integration of foreigners into Moldovan society. They are provided with access to education, health care, housing, social assistance and labor market. At the same time, the authors of the document note that if economic and social imbalances caused by insufficient integration are allowed, this may lead to the marginalization of foreigners, which will affect the economic and social stability of the Republic of Moldova.
In this context, the Program states: “In order to cover labor shortages in critical sectors such as agriculture, construction and health care, where the shortage of human resources is acute, the integration of migrants is crucial”. However, it should be taken into account that the absolute majority of migrants in Moldova are citizens of Ukraine.
According to data published by the National Employment Agency (ANOFM) in February 2025, 1,626 Ukrainian citizens were employed in our country, or less than 2% of those who requested temporary protection. They work in the professions of programmers, engineers, tailors, salesmen, cooks, waiters, doctors, educators, assemblers, operators in the manufacturing sector, managers and data operators. In other words, agriculture and construction, where the problem of staff shortage is especially acute, did not feel the replenishment in their ranks.
But maybe they will be interested in starting a business in Moldova. The Organization for the Development of Entrepreneurship (ODA) informs foreigners and displaced persons about state support programs for starting and developing a business. These include training, mentoring, access to financial instruments and, if necessary, loan guarantees to facilitate access to capital for SMEs with insufficient collateral.
According to ODA, nine enterprises with foreign capital or established by foreign nationals have received assistance under five state support programs between 2022 and the present. One enterprise has 10% foreign ownership in its authorized capital, and eight have between 76 and 100% foreign ownership. The total volume of investments in the economy is estimated at 12.4 million lei, of which grants amounted to about 5.5 million lei.
Children who benefit from temporary protection have access to public general education institutions under the same conditions as children who are citizens of RM. In September 2024, about 3,000 displaced children from Ukraine were registered in educational institutions in our country, of which more than 600 were enrolled in kindergartens.
It is proposed to integrate refugees into the public health system, including through voluntary or subsidized insurance mechanisms under CNAM. This is more cost-effective than providing services through isolated humanitarian projects.
It is estimated that the average monthly cost of basic health services (primary health care, emergency care and prevention) per refugee is $20-40. Integration into a national program (e.g. HIV, TB, oncology) can cost $200-800 per year. By ensuring early and continued access to these services, up to 50% of potential future costs associated with late treatment and complications can be avoided. For example, the cost of fully treating a case of drug-sensitive TB ranges from $200 to $500, and multidrug-resistant TB can exceed $5000. One of the goals of the Program is to provide access to basic medical services to at least 90% of foreigners legally residing in RM by the end of 2027.
And the main goal is that, thanks to all support measures, foreigners will be able to fully integrate into our society and contribute to the economic and social development of the country.
