We request the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to pay attention to these urgent issues and to take the necessary measures to regulate the import of the labor force and to develop and implement a national integration strategy. Our firm belief is that by adopting such a legal framework and an integration strategy, Romania will be able to capitalize on the advantages of legal and controlled migration, thereby contributing to economic growth and sustainable social progress.

The experiences of foreign workers have varied considerably, and their stories have often become ones with dark nuances.

Some of them have paid significant amounts to suspicious recruitment agencies in their home countries, hoping to find well-paid jobs in Romania, where they ended up living the nightmare of a life worse than back home.

Some of these workers from third-world countries have been abandoned at the Otopeni airport after arriving in Romania. They were left without housing, assistance, and jobs. Authorities did not have the plan to help them, and society was divided regarding their acceptance or rejection.

A specific legal framework is essential to ensure that agencies specialized in migration services comply with national and international labor laws and protect workers’ rights. This would guarantee transparency and fairness in the recruitment process and prevent exploitation or abuse of workers. Additionally, it would improve the monitoring and managing of the influx of foreign workers arriving in Romania.

The proposed amendment to the law will grant insured status to foreign citizens directly from the moment of payment of the first contribution for health insurance, thus eliminating the gap between the payment of the contribution and the approval of the residence permit extension. In this way, all foreign citizens contributing to the social health insurance system have fair and timely access to necessary medical services.

The development of such a strategy is crucial to facilitate the integration of foreign workers into Romanian society and to promote a more diverse and inclusive community. This would provide the necessary support to ensure foreign workers benefit from language courses and cultural education, assistance and information services, fair working conditions, and respect for their rights.

Developing such a strategy is crucial to facilitating the integration of foreign workers into Romanian society and promoting a more diverse and inclusive community. It would provide necessary support to ensure foreign workers have access to language and cultural education, assistance and information services, fair working conditions, and respect for their rights.

This initiative has a positive economic impact:

• Foreign workers can bring additional skills and abilities to the Romanian labor market, which can contribute to economic growth and sustainable
• In sectors facing labor shortages, such as construction, transportation, or hospitality, foreign workers can contribute to maintaining and developing these industries.
• Foreign workers with legal status can contribute to the state budget by paying taxes and social contributions, thus helping fund public services and infrastructure development.

• A fair and open approach to foreign workers can strengthen international relations and improve Romania’s global image.