Moldova: Follow-up to MDA30863 and MDA30864.E of 15 January 1999 on whether people who change addresses are required to register, and whether the propiska system exists and is used; whether there are barriers preventing people travelling from the Dniester Moldovan Republic to other regions of the country (January 1998 - January 1999)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MDA31484.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Moldova: Follow-up to MDA30863 and MDA30864.E of 15 January 1999 on whether people who change addresses are required to register, and whether the propiska system exists and is used; whether there are barriers preventing people travelling from the Dniester Moldovan Republic to other regions of the country (January 1998 - January 1999), 1 March 1999, MDA31484.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aadb6c.html [accessed 19 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
An 18 January 1999 letter sent to the Research Directorate by the chair of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Chisinau states:
On May 1997 Constitutional Court held unconstitutional the Article 10 of the Government's decision dated 6 June 1995, #375 as to the written notes in the passports on the "place of residence" and "place of live". The Constitutional Court argued its position saying that the mentioned decision contravenes the Article 27(2) of the Moldovan Constitution, namely the right to move and live within the country as well as to leave and return into the country. The documents of personal identity are not any longer including the written notes on the place of residence and so on. The last notes were used by the public authorities to regulate people's right to choose the place to live and the place to work for the only local residents, or those who had place of residence in this place, were permitted to be engaged in work. Public authorities would issue the place of residence permission. Actually, definition visa on place of residence was replaced with visa on place of live. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights has registered several cases when persons were refused be employed, to marry, to use medical service etc., because these persons do not have propiska in this region.
The propiska system does not exist any longer in the Republic of Moldova.
There aren't any barriers that prevent people from travelling from the Transdniester region to Chisinau and other regions of Moldova. Whereas persons from Chisinau and other region of Moldova do have. Some of [them] are not permitted to move to that place [the Transdniester region] because of political reason.
I [wish] to inform you that all information provided by the Committee represents the Helsinki Committee point of view.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Chisinau. 18 January 1999. Letter sent to the Research Directorate by the chair.
