Social orientation in Romania
In Romania, each institutional actor is responsible for the integration of foreigners in its corresponding field, while policy coordination and monitoring is vested with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the General Inspectorate for Immigration, which provides specific services to facilitate the integration in the Romanian society of different categories of foreigners.
Institutional coordination is achieved mainly through meetings with decision makers and experts, organized by the General Inspectorate for Immigration and by the Asylum and Integration Directorate. Integration aims firstly to facilitate access to a range of social and economic rights (employment, housing, education, health care and social assistance) and secondly to conduct integration programmes (cultural orientation activities, counseling and learning the Romanian language).
Government Ordinance no.44/2004 on the social integration of foreigners who obtained a form of protection in Romania defines social integration as the active participation of foreigners in the economic, social and cultural development of the Romanian society, in order to prevent social exclusion and to adapt to societal conditions.
The overall objective of the policy on integration of foreigners is to help them to self-sustain and become independent from state/NGOs assistance and actively participate in the economic, social and cultural life.
The following services form part of the integration programme offered by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) through its regional centers:
- Accommodation, upon request, in the IGI centers, for the period during which the person is enrolled in the integration programme (up to 12 months) against a monthly contribution representing the cost of utilities, from which vulnerable persons are exempted;
- Romanian language courses during the period in which the persons are enrolled in the integration programme (up to 12 months), organised with the support of school inspectorates;
- Sessions of cultural orientation;
- Providing for two months an amount equal to the material aid for asylum seekers;
- Social counseling that includes access to the rights the foreigner has in Romania: employment, housing, health and social care, social security, education;
- Counseling and psychological support;
- Material aid grant amount of 540 lei/person for a period of up to 12 months, under the condition of taking part in these activities, in the integration programme and in the specific individual integration plan.
- After completing the programme, the foreigner can apply for financial support to pay for accommodation outside the center, settling up to 50% of the accommodation costs for a period of one year.
More information can be found at http://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/content/integration-program.
