The Coalition for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees in Romania is ready for new challenges

The Coalition for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees in Romania was established in 2017 as a joint effort of nine NGOs working in this field, with the support of UNHCR Romania and the Institute for the Research of Quality of Life (part of the Romanian Academy). Now the Coalition has 23 members (NGOs) and 4 supporters from international organizations and academia (universities and research institutes). 

The Center for Public Innovation, the NIEM partner in Romania, was among the founding members, and was the Secretary of the Coalition between 2018 and 2020 for two rotating terms. The NIEM project played an essential role in establishing the Coalition and supporting its activity from the very beginning. The NIEM research offered evidence for the advocacy work of the Coalition, and many meetings and activities were supported with the project’s resources.

On May 19th, during an online event, the Coalition announced new and ambitious plans for the next two years. The new plans respond to the challenges posed by the increased immigration trends in Romania – the number of asylum seekers has almost doubled in the last year – and are facilitated by the Coalition successfully attracting funding from the Active Citizens Fund, a grant program part of the EEA and Norway Grants. 

The new project has a total value of €185,000, and is called simply “Coalition for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees”, based on the goal of strengthening the capacity of the Coalition. Within the framework of the project Coalition members will have the opportunity to improve internal structure and regulations, strengthen their capacity for communication, advocacy, and, to some extent, service delivery, as well as increasing their reach to the community of migrants.
The EEA grant does not include resources for research activities. Thus, the NIEM project remains an essential asset for the Coalition. The NIEM research will continue to provide evidence for the advocacy work, and the expected research and advocacy outputs from the NIEM projects – the comparative and national reports and the series of brief studies proposed for the extension of the project – will be essential tools for the Coalition.

The Center for Public Innovation (CPI) is part of the core group of three NGOs that is managing the EEA grant, ensuring the connection with the NIEM project. During the event on May 19th, the CPI team presented the current status of the NIEM project, the most recent results of the research, and how NIEM will continue to provide input for the activities of the Coalition. The meeting was organized online, and 68 people joined it directly via Zoom, including representatives of the Coalition members, of the main public institutions responsible with migration, and other interested persons. The meeting was also broadcasted via Facebook, and over 300 people watched parts of it.

The new grant obtained by the Coalition ensures its stability for at least one year after the end of the NIEM project, and this way it contributes to the long-term impact of the NIEM project.