Moldova to provide IDs to persons under humanitarian protection

Moldova will issue travel documents and IDs to persons whom it offered humanitarian protection. On Thursday, the Parliament adopted a draft law to this effect. Both documents for humanitarian protection beneficiaries will be valid one year. The Ministry of Internal Affairs explained the necessity of these legal provisions by the fact that at present the persons under humanitarian protection are issued only with one-month valid protection letters. This document allows the mentioned persons to stay legally on the territory of the state. However, without an ID the person cannot enjoy his right to employment, equal treatment within the compulsory health insurance system and medical assistance, contract a marriage, obtain a driver’s license or benefit from other rights provided by the legislation. Moreover, without a travel document, beneficiaries of humanitarian protection cannot exercise their right to free circulation. According to the legislation, humanitarian protection is offered to foreigners who were forced to leave their country due to certain dangers which threatened their life or freedom, as a result of violence caused by national or international armed conflicts, as well as to persons at risk of being subject to torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading punishment or treatment. Protection can also be offered for other humanitarian purposes – massive violations of human rights, other cases provided in the legislation as well as those approved by the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.