The Week dedicated to the International Migrants Day, annually marked on December 18, has started today. During the Week that will run until December 19 the International Organization for Migration's Mission (IOM Moldova) will organize a number of thematic activities, IPN reports.
IOM Moldova said in a press release that an estimated 1/4 of the working age population in Moldova is involved in permanent or circular migration as a result of widespread poverty and lack of well-paid jobs. Emigration has produced negative social effects on children and older persons left behind, in particular in rural areas. Over 70% of returning Moldovan emigrant workers aren’t helped by their new skills in finding a job.
Moldova is also a country-of-arrival of persons in need of international protection. The number of foreigners finding refuge in Moldova has been on the rise since 2012. As of 31 July 2014, 287 recognized refugees and beneficiaries of humanitarian protection and 89 asylum-seekers were residing in Moldova. This year, the theme proposed by IOM is “Saving Migrants’ Lives”, with the focus on global humanitarian challenge posed by the plight of thousands of migrants who die while trying to reach safety.
At the global level, approximately one in seven people today are migrants: 232 million people are international migrants, or 3.2% of the world population, and 740 million are internal migrants.
