Key information about the programme
- The programme is operated by: The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania
- The Donor Programme Partners in this programme are: Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Norwegian National Police Directorate, Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection, Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
- International partner organisation: Council of Europe
- The programme’s objective is: Strengthened rule of law
- The programme funding amounts to € 24,000,000 (excluding co-financing) and is funded entirely by the Norway Grants.
Why is the programme needed?
The Norway grants Home Affairs programme in Romania aims at strengthening the ability to ensure civil rights and protection of citizens - crucial elements for an inclusive society and sustainable growth. The influx of irregular migrants remains a challenge for Europe, and it puts European border and asylum systems under pressure. The current situation near the borders of Romania, is expected to cause pressure on an asylum system with an already challenged response capacity.
Cross-border crime affects the economy and threatens public safety. The south-eastern region of Europe has seen an expansion of criminal activity in recent years resulting in an increase of trafficking, illegal migration, proliferation of routes for illicit commodities and economic and financial crimes. Romania is also experiencing increased hate crime, which is targeted towards minorities, such as for example the Roma population. However, relevant authorities lack adequate tools and institutional capacity for proper law enforcement in such cases.
Man-made and natural disasters are increasing as a result of the effects of climate change, rapid urbanization, demographic pressure and more intensive use of land. Ensuring efficient strategies for regional and national preparedness and emergency planning is a priority for national authorities. The programme will provide support for the improvement of crisis preparedness.
What will the programme achieve and who are the beneficiaries?
The Norway grants Home Affairs programme aims to improve crime prevention and investigation by the police in Romania through enhancing their capacity to address serious crimes such as money laundering, human trafficking and hate-crimes. Support will be provided for police training schemes and the establishment of two new specialized units to combat both financial crimes and hate crimes. An advanced national fingerprinting system will be supported. The programme also supports intensified bilateral information exchange on cross border crimes. To address the increasing rate of hate crimes the programme will provide support for activities aimed at strengthening police resources to optimise their capacity to address hate crimes, for example through targeted training for staff on combating hate-crimes and violent extremism. Public awareness-raising will be a component in the programme’s effort to address crimes against minorities and vulnerable groups.
The programme will also provide support to improve the response capacity of the Romanian asylum system. This will be achieved by establishing two new reception centres for migrants and asylum seekers and by improved capacity of people working on asylum: 1600 staff will be trained in asylum related legal matters, while their IT systems will be upgraded to increase the efficiency and the information sharing between various responsible units.
Capacity building through improved training on search and rescue, removal of unexploded ordinances and detection and response to events involving nuclear and other radioactive material shall improve Romania’s disaster preparedness and ensure better protection of its citizens. Prevention and reduction of radiological risks will be addressed by upgrading regulatory frameworks and competences for nuclear safety related to border control and non-proliferation.
Relevant beneficiaries will benefit directly from the programme, such as asylum seekers, people belonging to the Roma-population and the general public. They will benefit through improved disaster resilience, crime prevention and efficient law enforcement. By enhancing Romania’s capacity to cooperate with international institutions, the programme will also improve Romania’s ability to comply with international obligations and improve the capacity for international cooperation in law enforcement in Romania.
How will the programme strengthen bilateral relations?
All the cross-border challenges addressed in the Home Affairs programme generates a need for closer international cooperation. The Norway grants Home Affairs programme has a strong bilateral dimension with four Norwegian donor programme partners playing an important role in both the preparation and implementation of the programme. Strengthened bilateral cooperation will be ensured by sharing good practices and joint participation in training events and exercises.
Availability of funding through open calls
The funding in this programme will be made available through the following open calls:
- Small grant scheme 1 – On Asylum and Migration – Public awareness campaigns on migration and human trafficking – 2019
- Small grant scheme 2 Disaster resilience - capacity building - TBD
- Small grant scheme 3 Disaster resilience – nuclear and radiations - TBD
- Bilateral call: The tentative planning for the publishing of the calls has yet to be decided.
Download the full programme agreement for more detailed information about the programme.
More information can also be found on the website of the Norway Grants in Romania.