The negative attitude towards migrants in society must be softened and migration must not be seen as a problem, but as an opportunity for development. This and other opinions were shared during the press club on the topic “Harnessing the diaspora’s potential in Moldova”, organized by the Center for Independent Journalism, IPN reports.
Antonio Polosa, head of the Moldova mission of the International Organization for Migration, said that the Bureau for Diaspora Relations must be strengthened as the main institution that works with Moldovans abroad. According to him, cultural centers should be created abroad to keep in touch with diaspora and prevent them from forgetting their native tongue and culture. Additionally, there should be policies put in place to change negative attitudes and stereotypes about migrants.
Olga Coptu, head of the Bureau for Diaspora Relations, said about 200 delegates from abroad are expected to attend the Diaspora Congress, which will take place on Friday, August 19. “I hope that the participants will come with some solutions and proposals for collaboration between authorities and the diaspora. We want to involve the diaspora in the activities of the BRD as much as possible”, said Coptu. She stressed that migration can be seen as an opportunity, especially for the development of the country and investment projects that can be funded by diaspora representatives.
Alexandru Cazacu, migrant and head of the Dor-Parma Moldo-Italian association, said that those abroad have felt some important steps taken by authorities at home. “We feel the desire to cooperate with the diaspora, especially considering that some years ago the diaspora had not been formed as a community. I know other countries have very active policies towards their diasporas and we need to learn a lot from countries like Italy and Greece”, he opined. According to Cazacu, BRD has become better-known abroad and seen as a body that is promoting the migrants’ message to the authorities, that implements policies to encourage and facilitate the return of migrants and that is trying to get signed relevant agreements which have been gathering dust for decades.
On August 19-21, Moldova will host the Diaspora Days, which include the Diaspora Congress and the Diaspora Business Forum. On August 21, the 4th edition of the Dor project will start, during which the children of migrants will attend a summer camp in Moldova to learn more about their country of origin.
