Conditions in reception facilities

Author

JRS Romania

Conditions in Regional Centres are monitored, inter alia, by the Ombudsman, who visits the centres on a regular basis. In 2022 the Ombudsman conducted monitoring visits in Bucuresti, Galati, Rădăuţi, Şomcuta Mare and Giurgiu.[1]

According to the data provided by the Ombudsman, its representatives did not carry out monitoring visits to the IGI-DAI centres in 2023, but a visit was made to the Border Police Territorial Unit Calarasi on 6 January 2023 and certain problems were noted with regard to the screening/triage room (at the time of the visit, no person was kept in custody in this place). It is a room where migrants are taken after they are caught for trying to cross the border illegally. The following problems were identified concerning this room: there was no window allowing natural lighting, no heating source in the room and in the sanitary group, the nearest heating source was a radiator in the surveillance room used by the border police located next to that room. The Ombudsperson made recommendations for the rehabilitation of the triage room, the appropriate provision of furniture and sanitary facilities, the conclusion of a protocol of cooperation with a medical unit in order to comply with the procedure for the organisation and operation of the triage room in terms of medical assistance that need to be provided to persons kept in such a place.[2]

According to the information available on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,[3] the ROFAMI2020OS1P14 project – Creation of a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the reception conditions in the regional centres for procedures and accommodation of asylum seekers, implemented by the General Inspectorate for Immigration between June 2020 and June 2023 contributed to the achievement of the following objectives:

• the creation of a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the reception conditions in the accommodation centres;
• the creation of a procedural framework to regulate the conduct of control/evaluation activity as well as working tools;
• Documentation visits in Member States that have developed such monitoring mechanisms re. reception conditions;
• Work visits to the regional accommodation centres in order to identify monitoring indicators and evaluate the quality of reception conditions;
• Ensuring that EU common reception standards are met, in accordance with materials developed by the EUAA, specifically the Guide on reception conditions and the Guide on reception conditions for UMs, which include the standards to be respected to ensure adequate living conditions for all applicants, including those with special needs and unaccompanied minors;
• The adaptation and implementation at the national level of the electronic application for monitoring the quality of reception conditions developed by the EUAA, with the transposition of indicators specific to each regional centre;

The project, of a total value of RON 202,551.55 (EUR 40,700 as of March 2024), was co-financed by AMIF and national funding. Indeed, 75% – RON 151,913.69 – came from the 2014-2020 AMIF national programme, Specific Objective 1 Asylum – National Object 2 Evaluation, and 25% – RON 50,637.88, came from national funds, based on the financing contract granted by the Responsible Authority FAMI-FSI, Directorate of Non-Reimbursable External Funds / Ministry of Internal Affairs.

State of the facilities

UNHCR mentioned that in 2023, they provided support to the IGI-DAI Reception and Accommodation Centres for Asylum Seekers, including through the donation of non-food items to the Reception Centres that requested it (e.g. water, hygiene kits, towels, blankets, clothing) as well as financing integration counsellors, employed with UNHCR’s partner CNRR, at the reception centres. Additionally, through UNHCR’s implementing partners AIDRom and CNRR, UNHCR supported the IGI-DAI by covering a gap in services which are usually covered through AMIF funding, relating to material assistance (welcome/installation packages for asylum-seekers arriving at IGI-DAI Reception Centres), legal assistance, information provision on social assistance and their rights in Romania, social counselling, organising socio-cultural, educational and recreational activities, such as Romanian language courses, for the asylum-seekers and refugees from the IGI-DAI’s Reception Centres.[4]

Regarding the reception conditions, the Romanian Ombudsman has made a series of monitoring visits to the GII procedures and accommodation centres for asylum seekers, the most recent ones are from 2022, in Giurgiu,[5] Galati,[6] Maramureș[7] and Rădăuţi;[8] all reports were further accompanied by answers provided by the General Inspectorate for Immigration on measures conducted following the recommendations of the Ombudsman.[9] Among the main issues identified in the reports are the following: insufficient centre staff (especially in the medical assistance department), lack of constant professional training for centre staff, inadequate hygienic-sanitary conditions, accommodation spaces that require improvements/rehabilitation. No major improvements were reported since then.

On reception conditions, UNHCR reported[10] that when asked about accommodation, 93% of respondents reported that they currently reside within a Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers, with only six per cent of the respondents reporting living in private accommodation. 0.3% respondents reported living in other forms of accommodation. This reflects the asylum procedural stage in which the respondents were at the time of the interview. Regarding the safety of the accommodation, 71% of the respondents reported feeling very safe; 21% of moderately safe, and six per cent feeling neither safe nor unsafe. Only a small percentage of respondents, one per cent each, reported feeling moderately unsafe or very unsafe.

The Regional Centre Timișoara

The Regional Centre was located in the same premises as the Emergency Transit Centre (ETC) operated by UNHCR, where refugees evacuated from other countries stay before they are resettled to another country, until 1 December 2020.[11] ETC moved to another facility as of 1st December 2020.The facility is located 20 minutes by bus from the city centre. The facility was repainted and the doors and windows were repaired in December 2017.

The entire facility is split into four buildings, of which two are designed for accommodation. Each of these two buildings contains 12 rooms with 12 beds per room. One building (“Building B”) is separated into two parts through a built-in wall: six rooms are dedicated to asylum seekers and another six to ETC refugees. Until December 2020 ETC had a total capacity of 200 places, the Regional Centre has a capacity of 50 places. Each building where persons are accommodated has a kitchen. However, “Building B” dedicated to families only has 2 refrigerators. “Building B” has two bathrooms, each equipped with two squat toilets, two urinals, three sinks and three showers.

In the second half of 2021 renovation work commenced in the regional centre of Timișoara. The works consist of interior painting, replacement of tiles in hallways, kitchens, bathrooms, replacement of laminate flooring in accommodation rooms with tiles, replacement of all facilities in bathrooms and kitchens, replacement of radiators and modernisation of the central heating system.[12] The renovation work commenced with building C and was finalised in January 2022. Renovation of building B started in March 2022 and at the time of the author’s visit only minor details were still to be finalised. Metal bars were installed on all windows. The construction work for the additional accommodation places and offices was suspended. In 2022 the highest number of asylum seekers was 250 during July and August and they were accommodated in the centre for two to three days until they were transferred. Two shipping containers were installed in the courtyard, where IGI-DAI registered beneficiaries of temporary protection.

According to IGI-DAI,[13] in 2023, the situation was as follows: the centre consists of 6 buildings, with in total 24 rooms (20 rooms with 10 beds each, 2 rooms with 12 beds each, 2 rooms with 13 beds each). On each floor there is a common bathroom and a common kitchen with a stove and a refrigerator. In 2022, all accommodation spaces were improved through a project to modernise them; no other rehabilitation works were carried out in 2023. Single women are accommodated separately from men. Unaccompanied minors under the age of 16 are taken in by the DGASPC and those over 16 can be accommodated in the centre in separate rooms. There is a mobile ramp that ensures the access/movement of people with disabilities. Families are provided with a room to themselves.

The Regional Centre Şomcuta Mare

The Regional Centre is located close to the city centre and 25 km away from Baia Mare. The centre consists of a three-storey building. Rooms are located on the second and third floor, each floor containing 22 rooms with 2, 4, 6, 8 persons sleeping in a room. There are two bathrooms on each floor, separated by gender. On the hallway of the first floor, there are 6 refrigerators, while the ground floor has two isolation rooms for medical purposes. The basement has a kitchen with ten stoves, a dining room and a laundry room with four washing machines but only two are functional. The basement also contains a specially designed closed space (see Place of Detention).[14] The centre has a capacity of 100 places. In August 2021 it was extended to 200 places and as of March 2022 the capacity was increased with 50 more places, by transforming the gym room into an accommodation room.[15]

In 2021 small renovations were carried out, taps were changed and rooms and hallways were painted.

According to IGI-DAI[16], in 2023 the situation in this centre was the following: the centre consists of a single building, with 44 rooms that can accommodate a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 8 people. On each floor there are 2 shared bathrooms, a shared kitchen with stove and fridge. In order to improve the accommodation conditions, rehabilitation works have been carried out in 4 bathrooms, as well as sanitation works in all accommodation spaces, hallways, kitchen, laundry. Unaccompanied minors up to the age of 16 are taken care of by the DGASPC, and those older than 16 can be accommodates in separated room in the centre. Individual accommodation spaces are allocated to families.

The Regional Centre Rădăuţi

The Regional Centre is located not far from the city centre. There are rooms with eight and ten beds. There are two bathrooms, one for women and one for men, each with three toilets and showers. There is a common kitchen, which lacked refrigerators and dishes at the time of the Ombudsman’s visit in 2017.[17] The gym and prayer room were converted into accommodation in 2020 in order to increase reception capacity.[18] Each room has a refrigerator, which serves 10 persons. Construction of new accommodation places started in October/November 2021. The construction work was also suspended, as the constructor is the same in both centres Rădăuţi and Timișoara. There is still limited space for counselling for NGOs.

In 2023, the situation in the centre was as follows:[19] the centre consists of 2 buildings (building A and building B), with in total 5 rooms for 12 persons, 5 rooms for 10 persons, 1 room for 8 persons, 2 rooms for 6 persons. Building A has rooms with shared bathrooms and Building B has rooms with private bathrooms. On each floor there is a shared kitchen (1 gas stove and 1 fridge in each kitchen). Unaccompanied minors over the age of 16 years old can be accommodated in the centre in separate rooms (minors under 16 years old are taken care of by the DGASPC). The positions of psychologist and doctor are vacant. Women and men are accommodated in separate rooms. There are ramps to facilitate access in the building for people with disabilities. Families are provided with individual spaces.

The Regional Centre Galaţi

The Regional Centre is located in the city, with easy access to public transport. The centre has three buildings: two for administrative purposes and one two-storey building for accommodation. On each floor of the accommodation building, there is one bathroom for men and one for women: each comprising of three showers and seven sinks. There is only one normal toilet for women per floor; the rest are ‘squat toilets’.

The rooms have a maximum capacity of four and 12 beds. Generally, if there are available places asylum seekers are accommodated depending on nationality. Families are accommodated in the same room, separately from single men. There are two kitchens on each floor with three stoves and three sinks each, as well as one refrigerator in each room. In 2022 the clubs and the gym were functional and transformed into accommodation rooms only when necessary. Specially designed closed spaces were used as accommodation rooms only in January for the Afghan refugees. The prayer room still exists. The highest number of asylum seekers accommodated in the regional centre in 2022 was 157.

In February-March 2022 four shipping containers were installed for the registration of beneficiaries of temporary protection.[20]

In 2023, according to data provided by IGI-DAI[21] the situation was the following: the centre consists of 3 buildings (only one housing asylum seekers), with a total of 34 rooms (rooms with 6 places, 8 places, 10 places or 12 places), 1 shared bathroom on each floor, 2 kitchens per floor (3 stoves and refrigerators in each kitchen). Sanitation works were carried out in 2022, replacement of radiators, roof repairs, provision of material goods (e.g. stoves, fridges, beds, mattresses, washing machines, dryers, pots, pans, cutlery, towels, blankets) funded from the AMIF programme. Unaccompanied minors up to the age of 16 are taken in by the DGASPC, and those over 16 can be accommodated in the centre in separate rooms. There is a psychologist employed by IGI-DAI in the centre, and a doctor has a collaboration contract with IGI-DAI. There are access ramps for people with disabilities. Women are accommodated in separate rooms, families are accommodated in individual rooms.

The Regional Centre Bucharest

The Regional Centre is located 20 minutes by bus from the city centre. The building accommodating asylum seekers has four floors. It contains a total of 80 rooms, each with four beds, a toilet and a shower. On each floor there are two kitchens, each with two refrigerators, two stoves and two sinks. When assigning asylum seekers to different rooms, IGI-DAI takes into consideration their religion, nationality and gender. Families are accommodated together.

The renovation of the Vasile Stolnicu centre started in July 2021 and was finalised in March 2023.[22] All the asylum seekers were moved to the Tudor Gociu centre.

The building of Tudor Gociu has four floors. Asylum seekers are accommodated on the third and fourth floors. There are 24 rooms for accommodation, one kitchen on each floor, four bathrooms and two washing rooms. All windows have metal bars. The director of the Vasile Stolnicu centre describe the rooms as a little bit too crowded. Bathrooms and toilets are separated according to gender. The JRS representative reported that privacy is lacking in the bathroom as the doors cannot be locked. There are no leisure/common rooms. There is no courtyard, so children and adults spend their time on the hallways or in their rooms.

According to data provided by IGI-DAI[23], for the year 2023 the situation was the following:

The Bucharest Centre consists of a building located at street Tudor Gogiu 24A (a closed centre, 96 places distributed in 24 rooms, each room can accommodate 4 people) and a building located at street Vasile Stolnicu 15 (an open centre, 320 places distributed in 80 rooms, each room can accommodate 4 people). The closed centre has 2 bathrooms per floor, and in the open centre each room has its own bathroom. In both centres there is a kitchen on each floor with 2 gas stoves and 2 refrigerators.

In 2023 no persons were accommodated in the closed centre located at street Tudor Gogiu 24A.

At the open regime centre located in Vasile Stolnicu Street, thermal rehabilitation and interior sanitation works were carried out, in the period March 2021-September 2023.

In the open regime centre unaccompanied minors over 16 years old can be accommodated, they are accommodated separately from adults, taking into account the best interests of the child (unaccompanied minors under 16 years old are taken over by the DGASPC). In this centre there are 1 doctor and 2 nurses, and the position of psychologist is vacant. This centre is divided into 2 sections (one section for single men, one section for women and families with children). Both centres have mobile access ramps in the building for people with disabilities.

The Regional Centre Giurgiu

The Regional Centre is a former barracks located in the outskirts of the city and repurposed in 2011, without any refurbishment beyond repaint. As a result, technical problems often occur. The capacity of the centre is 100 places arranged in eight rooms. At the time of the author’s visit in January 2023, there were 8 accommodation rooms with different capacity from 4,8, 15, 16, 17, 24 to 26 beds. The capacity of the centre could be increased by 74 places. Each room is equipped with refrigerators; the number of refrigerators depends on the number of beds. There are two kitchens with four stoves and three sinks. Only one kitchen was used by the asylum seekers, the other one was locked. There are two bathrooms, one for men and one for women, with five ‘squat toilets’ and five showers. The women’s bathroom was also locked. The gym is used as a deposit room for old refrigerators and washing machines and single use bed sheets. There is also a club where Romanian language classes were held by AIDRom with seven desks and chairs a small collection of books in Romanian. The isolation room was being used at the time of the author’s visit by a beneficiary of international protection with a medical condition, who used to live in the Vasile Stolnicu centre. The isolation room had its own bathroom and half of the room was serving as a deposit of beds. A prayer space was set up next to the kitchen. The centre has a small courtyard, but it is not accessible as it is surrounded by a fence. In the backyard old furniture, beds, sinks are deposited. The two tents that were set up in the courtyard for medical screening in 2020, were in an advanced state of degradation. However, they were not used anymore. The rooms were painted and small repairs were carried out. The majority of the beds in the visited rooms were new and all the mattresses were covered in plastic to protect them from bed bugs.

According to data provided by IGI-DAI[24], for the year 2023 the situation was the following: the centre consists of one building. There is a shared bathroom and a shared kitchen on each floor. No improvements have been made to the premises (e.g. painting, replacement of furniture, etc.). Minors over 16 years of age can be accommodated in separate rooms (minors under 16 years old are taken by DGASPC). There is a psychologist and a medical assistant, and the position of doctor is vacant. The centre is mainly for single men, and if single women are accommodated in the centre they will be accommodated separately. The centre has a mobile elevator for people with disabilities. Families are given individual accommodation.

Food and hygiene

The Asylum law prescribes the necessary daily amount of nutritional value based on which the daily allowance for food is calculated depending on the individual situation.[25] Asylum seekers may cook for themselves, using the kitchens available in every centre.

In all regional centres, asylum seekers are obliged to clean their rooms, kitchen and bathrooms on a rotation basis. The number of toilets and showers are sufficient in all facilities during regular occupancy.

In 2018 – December 2022 AIDRom implemented a project providing asylum seekers with cleaning products and they were also encouraged to clean their rooms and common spaces every week.

In March 2024, UNHCR published its Regional Protection Monitoring Report Romania based on 1,955 interviews conducted with asylum-seekers and, to a lesser extent, with refugees and, to a lesser extend, with other individuals who reached Romania as part of mixed flows. 93% of respondents reported to be living in a reception centre for asylum seekers. On reception conditions, UNHCR reported[26] that concerning the access to meals, four per cent of the respondents reported receiving one meal a day, 39% of the respondents reported having access to two meals, and 57% of the respondents reported benefiting from three meals daily. These findings raise protection concerns which relate to situations where asylum-seekers’ freedom of movement is restricted upon their first arrival to the reception centre and until they may be transferred to another centre. For one reception centre, for example, it has been reported that, during the time when the protection monitoring was conducted, authorities relied on donations by NGOs to ensure the provision of food to residents in the Reception Centre. If these supplies are not available or do not arrive timely, food is not available.

Galaţi: The Ombudsman described the hygienic conditions in the majority of rooms as appropriate. However, there were also rooms with inadequate hygienic conditions: walls were dirty and scratched.[27]

Bathrooms were clean, but there were also bathrooms with worn down sanitary installations. The kitchens were also described as clean and appropriate, the stoves were new. The Ombudsman observed that out of 28 rooms only two were equipped with air conditioning and recommended its installation in all rooms. The director of the centre reported that the living conditions had improved in 2022, as they painted the entire building, the linoleum was replaced, mattresses and furniture were changed. The water pipes in bathrooms were repaired. The centre is still confronting bed bugs infestation, even though disinfection is carried out twice a month.

Şomcuta Mare: The Ombudsman reported inadequate hygienic conditions in kitchens: mould and food scraps were observed next to the pipes, there was no furniture where asylum seekers could eat. In 2021, the JRS representative reported that the roof of the building was damaged and it was raining inside and because of the damp, the wall and ceiling plaster was falling. They repaired the ceiling but there is still water coming in because they did not repair the roof. At the time of the Ombudsman’s visit at the end of March 2022 this was still an issue, mould and infiltration were observed. Bathrooms were in a precarious state of hygiene: walls with damp, damaged sanitary items, no head showers, rusty toilets.[28] The director reported that sink faucets, light switches and electrical outlets were changed during the year and the roof had been repaired. The rooms affected by damp were not used. In 2023 the centre will be refurbished according to the director.

In Bucharest: according to the Ombudsman the hygienic conditions in Tudor Gociu centre have deteriorated. The furniture, mattresses, linoleum were worn down. On the 4th floor dampness and mould was observed by the visiting team. The bathrooms were in a poor state of cleanliness and hygiene: mouldy walls, damp, doors were dirty, broken tiles, rusty toilets, showers without a hose or shower head and the lighting was not working. The kitchens were also dirty. [29]

In Giurgiu, the author observed during their visit, and it was also confirmed by interviewed NGO representatives, that the hygiene conditions had improved. Hallways were freshly painted, rooms were clean and painted, only in one room were there doodles on the walls. The conditions had also improved from the Ombudsman’s visit on 15 April 2022, when it was noted that hallways were dirty and not painted as well as the accommodation rooms, refrigerators were dirty and smelly and bugs were also spotted. With regards to the bathrooms the situation was the same as reported by the Ombudsman, water on the floor, damp, the walls separating the showers were rusty, there was a leaking pipe and it smelt. The toilets had old tiles and the smell was unbearable. The director of the centre stated that the centre will be renovated, without knowing when works would start.

In Rădăuţi, the Ombudsman reported that the bathrooms, even though they were renovated in 2021, were worn down and the hygienic conditions were inadequate. The kitchens were also dirty, the tiles were broken and dirty bugs were spotted on the dirty floor. The same situation was observed in the building intended for the accommodation of vulnerable asylum seekers: the floors and walls were dirty.[30] It was also reported by the NGO representative that hot water and heating was not available 24h/7 in the accommodation rooms or the NGO offices. Asylum seekers complained that during cold days the heating was not on all day. Also, bed bugs remain an issue. The director of the centre reported that during 2022 rooms, kitchen, bathrooms and hallways had been refurbished.

In Timișoara, NGO representatives reported that residents did not complain about bed bugs, fleas, bugs, the poor condition of mattresses and plumbing in the showers and toilets. After the renovation the centre is clean; asylum seekers clean their rooms. At the time of the author’s visit there were only three asylum seekers accommodated in the centre in building C, of whom one asylum seeker had been living in the centre for a longer period of time. The rooms, kitchen and bathrooms were tidily kept. Asylum seekers who were to be transferred were accommodated in the same two rooms. The mattresses in these rooms were not so well kept. All the kitchen equipment and refrigerators were replaced. The bathrooms were also clean.

There have not been any protests related to the conditions in the centres.

In 2023, the Ombudsman did not carry out monitoring visits to the centres.[31]

Activities in the centres

UNHCR mentioned that in 2023, they provided support to the IGI-DAI Reception and Accommodation Centres for Asylum Seekers, including through the donation of non-food items to the Reception Centres that requested it (e.g. water, hygiene kits, towels, blankets, clothing) as well as financing integration counsellors, employed with UNHCR’s partner CNRR, at the reception centres. Additionally, through UNHCR’s implementing partners AIDRom and CNRR, UNHCR supported the IGI-DAI by covering a gap in services which are usually covered through AMIF funding, relating to material assistance (welcome/installation packages for asylum-seekers arriving at IGI-DAI Reception Centres), legal assistance, information provision on social assistance and their rights in Romania, social counselling, organising socio-cultural, educational and recreational activities, such as Romanian language courses, for the asylum-seekers and refugees from the IGI-DAI’s Reception Centres.[32]

On reception conditions, UNHCR reported[33] that 43% of the respondents reported being offered recreational activities.

Asylum seekers are allowed to go outside whenever they want, until 22:00. All Regional Centres except Timișoara have a prayer room where residents can practice their religion.[34]

AIDRom stated that the Romanian language classes were held in person, respecting the protection measures and social distancing. They continued in this format due to the limited possibilities of asylum seekers to have access to a mobile phone for online courses. Where beneficiaries had access to an electronic device, the courses were held online.[35]

Social and community workers in the centres organise different activities for both adults and children

Save the Children Romania offers as part of a project funded from the organisation own resources program, educational social services and material assistance addressing the specific needs of asylum-seeking children and refugees, including unaccompanied minors. The activities are running in 5 Regional Centres, with the exception of Giurgiu.

The project foresees the following activities:

• Daily educational-recreational program for children in accommodation centres.- In Timișoara these are not organised as there are no children
• Facilitating access to education and cultural accommodation
• Services to ensure their basic needs
• Facilitating access to social and medical services, when necessary
• Social counselling for children and adults
• Material assistance.

Material assistance consist of hygienic products, food, clothes, shoes. All asylum seekers received food, irrespective of their age or vulnerability, according to the Save the Children representative. Donations were also made by private persons and companies.

In 2022, complementary to the ones organised by the School Inspectorates, Romanian classes were held by AIDRom and activities for children were also organised in all centres, except Timișoara.

In 2023, AIDRom implemented several activities in the centres[36]: between June and December 2023, the Ecumenical Association of Churches in Romania – AIDRom, implemented the project “Information, counselling and complex assistance for asylum seekers from the regional centres of the General Inspectorate for Immigration, Output 3”, financed by UNHCR. The aim of the project was to ensure the promotion of a manifold assistance system from a social point of view with the provision of specialised services to increase the standard of living of asylum seekers in Romania, by approaching the issue with a new strategy of relationship between the host community and asylum seekers. The project took place in all 6 regional centres (Bucharest, Giurgiu, Galati, Rădăuţi, Maramureș- Şomcuta Mare, Timisoara). The activities carried out within the project were:

• Information and social counselling. The social counselling consisted in directly informing the beneficiaries about the existence of the project, the facilities and services offered, access to basic social services and any other individual or group social needs of the beneficiaries, identified by the social worker. In total, 670 asylum seekers benefited from this activity.
• Assistance for cultural-educational integration: educational, recreational, orientation and accommodation activities in Romanian society, such as visits to museums, the theatre, the Zoological/Botanical Garden, outings in parks, etc. In total, 648 asylum seekers benefited from these activities.
• Romanian language courses for both minors and adults, in the centres. In total, there were 572 entries for the Romanian language courses.
• Material aid. In total, 345 asylum seekers benefited from installation packages. The installation packages consisted in: household items, housekeeping (detergent, bed linen, etc.), clothes, personal hygiene items (shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, etc.), food. Moreover, 790 asylum seekers benefited from transfer packages. The transfer packages consisted of the provision of food, water, napkins, etc. for asylum seekers who were transferred between regional accommodation centres or transferred from the place of submission of the asylum application to the regional accommodation centres.
• Material assistance for the translation of civil status documents and/or diplomas as well as the legalization/authentication of these documents. In total, 30 asylum seekers benefited from translation services.

[1] Ombudsman, Visiting reports, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/3myecV5.

[2] Information provided by the Ombudsman, 9 January 2024.

[3] Ministry of Internal Affairs, Press release, 25 January 2024, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/3SNf98i.

[4] Information provided by UNHCR, 23 January 2024.

[5] Romanian Ombudsperson, Raport privind vizita efectuată la Centrul Regional de Proceduri și Cazare a Solicitanților de Azil Giurgiu la data de 15 aprilie 2022, 2022, available in Romanian here.

[6] Romanian Ombudsperson, Raport privind vizita desfasurata la Centrul Regional de Proceduri si Cazare pentru Solicitantu de Azil Galați, judetul Galați, 2022, available in Romanian here.

[7] Romanian Ombudsperson, Raport privind vizita desfășurată la Centrul Regional de Proceduri și Cazare pentru Solicitanții de Azil Maramures, Somcuta Mare, 2022, available in Romanian here.

[8] Romanian Ombudsperson, Raport privind vizita desfasurata la Centrul Regional de Proceduri si Cazare pentru Solicitantu de Azil Rădăuți, judetul Suceava, 2022, available in Romanian here.

[9] Romanian Ombudsperson, ‘Centre Pentru Migranti’, available in Romanian here.

[10] UNHCR, Regional Protection Monitoring Report Romania, 28 March 2024, available here.

[11] UNHCR, ETC Timișoara, 14 December 2016, available at: http://bit.ly/2DuZqDN; Operations in Romania, 16 December 2016, available at: http://bit.ly/2D0OjkO.

[12] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 10 March 2022.

[13] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.

[14] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Şomcuta Mare, 36/2017, available in Romanian at: http://bit.ly/2E7EANw, 4-5.

[15] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Şomcuta Mare, 29 March 2022, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/3L8jAsg.

[16] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.

[17] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Rădăuţi, 34/2017, available in Romanian at: http://bit.ly/2nEuqcO, 5.

[18] Ibid, 3-4.

[19] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.

[20] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Galati, 7 July 2022, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/41WQj9G

[21] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.

[22] Ministry of Internal Affairs, Directorate of non-reimbursable external funds, ‘Îmbunătățirea condițiilor de cazare și asistență a solicitanților de azil – proiect RO#FAMI’, last edited 15 March 2024, available in Romanian here.

[23] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.

[24] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.

[25] Article 55(1) Asylum Decree.

[26] UNHCR, Regional Protection Monitoring Report Romania, 28 March 2024, available here.

[27] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Galati, 7 July 2022, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/41WQj9G.

[28] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Şomcuta Mare, 29 March 2022, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/3L8jAsg.

[29] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Bucharest, 19 April 2022, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/3zfbTJk.

[30] Ombudsman, Report of the visit to the Regional Centre for Procedures and Reception for Asylum Seekers Rădăuţi, 14 April 2022, available in Romanian at: https://bit.ly/3F7xjeP.

[31] Information provided by Ombudsman, 9 January 2024.

[32] Information provided by UNHCR, 23 January 2024

[33] UNHCR, Regional Protection Monitoring Report Romania, 28 March 2024, available here.

[34] Although the Ombudsman states that there is a confession room in Timișoara where Romanian classes are held, this is a hallway leading to the NGO offices rather than an actual room.

[35] Information provided by AIDRom, 4 March 2021.

[36] Information provided by AIDRom, 15 January 2024.