In a new report the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) praises the Moldovan authorities for their efforts to improve the equality and hate crime legislation, and better integrate migrants. However, further action is needed to address hate speech and hate crime as well as inequalities, including against Roma. (See report in Romanian).
Since 2018, when it last evaluated the country, ECRI finds that the Republic of Moldova has taken some positive steps. Grounds of national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation and gender identity were added to the open-ended list of protected grounds in the Equality Act. The authorities have launched several initiatives to combat bullying, which is still a major problem in Moldovan schools. Progress has also been achieved in securing better preschool and school attendance of Roma pupils.
A number of legislative developments were noted in the area of combating hate speech, including the introduction of several offences and misdemeanours, as well as the notion of "grounds of prejudice" in the Criminal and Misdemeanour Codes. Bias motivation was also introduced in hate crime recording.
The report welcomes the efforts to improve the integration and inclusion of migrants, notably by opening integration centres for foreign nationals in Chișinău, Bălți and Cahul, which provide migrants with easily accessible guidance. ECRI also praises the Republic of Moldova for the exceptionally warm welcome given to people displaced as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, particularly since the country has received the largest number of such persons in relation to population size.
However, despite the progress achieved, ECRI expresses concern about several shortcomings and addresses 15 recommendations to address them.
Republic of Moldova: Anti-Racism Commission calls for further action against hate speech and hate crime
ECRI and the Republic of Moldova
