On 9 and 10 October, 26 officers (8 men and 18 women) from the General Inspectorate for migration and the border police of the Republic of Moldova participated in a training focused on Articles 60 and 61 of Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence known as the Istanbul Convention . These articles enshrine the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women to be protected from violence.
The training constitutes a follow up to the study carried out by the Council of Europe and helped participants to understand the dynamics of violence against women and the challenges faced by migrant women and for women claiming asylum. Participants engaged in practical exercises on gender-sensitive persecution and non-refoulement and promoting collaboration among various agencies.
In line with Article 60 of the Istanbul Convention, participants were reminded of the need to apply a gender-sensitive interpretation to the grounds of persecution, recognising sexual violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and other forms of gender-based violence as valid reasons for seeking asylum. Under the obligations of Article 61, asylum seekers, particularly women fleeing violence, must not be deported or returned to places where they could face torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.
Mariana Lucrețeanu, State Secretary of the Ministry of internal affairs, underscored the need to strengthen the legislative framework to protect those fleeing violence and persecution. She encouraged the participants to act with professionalism and empathy, to find viable solutions and better understand the needs of these women.
Falk Lange, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, emphasised the importance of implementing the convention, particularly in the face of increasing global challenges: "We are witnessing a rise in gender-based violence, especially among vulnerable groups such as refugees. Moldova’s commitment to the Istanbul Convention sends a powerful message that protection for these individuals is not merely an aspiration, but a reality we are striving to achieve.”
The initiative is part of the Council of Europe project “Supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova”.
