The amendments to the Law on the State Border, which was submitted to the Government for examination, could hamper the movement of people who live in the border area and could also restrict some movement rights of the foreigners on Moldova’s territory, consider experts of the Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO), who analyzed the items included in the agenda of the Cabinet’s March 2 meeting.
CReDO director Sergiu Ostaf, in a news conference at IPN, said the bill to amend the Law on the State Border must be withdrawn from the agenda because some of the amendments would allow the border police to unjustifiably ask the foreigners to explain the goal of their trip to Moldova, while the traveler will have to present justifying documents.
According to Ostaf, these changes could generate abuses and situations of corruption. That’s why the CReDO experts consider that the current legal provision, according to which the border police can ask to explain the goal of the trip only in emergencies, should be kept. The experts consider the exceptional cases should be specified by law.
Sergiu Ostaf also said that some of the amendments could make the movement of people who live in the border area difficult. One of them says that the people who want to travel in the border area will have to preliminarily inform the police post about the trip and its goal over the phone, verbally or by email. The measure is an excessive one, which restricts movement. Under the current legislation, the citizens can travel through the border area with the identity card or with a permit issued by the Border Police.
In another development, the CReDO director said that some of the amendments to the Law on the State Border could generate favorable conditions for fatal incidents similar to the one that happened in the Domneasca Forest. An amendment provides that hunting in the border area will be possible without a preliminary authorization from the Border Police. This could lead to the weakening of the hunting control regime in the border area.
The March 2 meeting of the Government includes 41 issues, 28 of which were positively appraised.
