After BBC reported that dozens of migrants in the custody of the UK and the US are set to arrive in Romania, we have a first official reaction from the General Inspectorate for Immigration.
„Regarding this case, up to this point, within our institution, no request has been received regarding granting permission for their entry into Romania,” stated IGI in a statement.
The institution then explains that there is a unique transit center in Timișoara for individuals in urgent need of international protection. Over 5,000 people have already come here, and none have stayed, all have been relocated to other countries.
Here is the statement and explanations from IGI:
"In addition to the 6 regional centers, within the General Inspectorate for Immigration operates the Emergency Transit Center in Timișoara (CTU), which became operational with the entry into force of the Agreement between the Government of Romania, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) regarding the temporary evacuation to Romania of individuals in urgent need of international protection and their subsequent relocation, signed in Bucharest on November 21, 2008, ratified by Law no. 291/2008 (the tripartite agreement), and is considered a major instrument of international protection policy.
Through CTU Timișoara, the temporary evacuation to Romania of individuals in urgent need of international protection and their subsequent relocation is carried out for a period of up to 6 months.
CTU is the first institution of its kind in the world and a model of good practices, being an important instrument of international protection policy.
As part of the relocation procedure, IGI requests verifications from structures responsible for national security, and subsequently communicates the response to UNHCR regarding the accepted individuals.
Since the entry into force of the Tripartite Agreement, UNHCR has requested access to Romania for 5,436 individuals, of which 5,029 have been granted approval for evacuation to CTU.
None of the individuals evacuated to CTU have remained in Romania, being relocated to other states.
All expenses incurred for the stay of refugees from CTU in Romania are covered by UNHCR",
Yesterday, BBC revealed that dozens of migrants in the custody of the UK and the US are set to arrive in Romania as part of a UN program.
The UK has proposed a temporary move to Romania for immigrants who have been stuck for years in a secret military camp of the United Kingdom and the US on a remote island in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia. After six months, they could be relocated to the UK, as BBC has learned.
Others in the group are offered financial incentives to return to Sri Lanka, although they say they face persecution there.
56 Tamils are still on Diego Garcia island. Another eight are currently in Rwanda, after being transferred there for medical care following suicide attempts. Most migrants are awaiting decisions on their international protection requests or appealing rejections. In total, eight have been granted international protection.
Migrants, both from the island and Rwanda, whose international protection requests have been approved, as well as families with children from the camp, will be offered transfer to a "safe center" managed by the United Nations in Romania, for a period of up to six months, while the British government continues to seek a "sustainable solution" - migrants told BBC.