Participants in Work & Travel programs will have their rights observed

The students participating in the Summer Work and Travel (SWT) Program will be prepared with all they need to know about their rights thanks to an information campaign themed “Know Your Rights”, launched on April 2 by a coalition of governmental and non-governmental institutions, Info-Prim Neo reports. As Deputy Education and Youth Minister Ion Ceban told a news conference today, the campaign aims to raise awareness and inform students attending higher education institutions of the potential risks associated with SWT programs, precaution measures and ways of asserting their rights. According to the deputy minister, there is a need for establishing formal and informal mechanisms for monitoring the quality of services provided by SWT firms, which would increase the security of the young persons participating in the program, prevent the recurrence of fraudulent an abusive practices, and ensure high levels of service provision by these firms. Thus, the students participating in the program who seek to assert their rights will be offered free legal assistance as part of the campaign. In the period from April 7 to May 18, Moldovan universities are to conduct a series of consultations and information sessions on the topic, announced Radu Cucos, representative of the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. He remarked that students may appeal for legal assistance to a specially created hotline 0 800 77777, which works around-the-clock and charges no fees for national calls. To ensure a strong connection with the students traveling or working abroad, the Moldovan authorities created an e-mail address – swt@mfa.md – where the applicants and participants in the program may report cases of violations of their rights and get legal counseling. The members of the coalition also advise Moldovan students to seek help when they need it while in the U.S from the Moldovan Consulate in Washington. “Know Your Rights” Campaign is a common effort of the Ministry of Education and Youth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Interior Ministry’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking, the National Employment Agency, the International Organization for Migration’s Mission to Moldova, the U.S. Embassy, OSCE Mission to Moldova, the International Center “La Strada”, the Center for Preventing Trafficking in Women, the Students’ Alliance of Moldova, and the National Youth Council of Moldova.