At the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Bulboaca, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the UK intends to start negotiations with the Republic of Moldova on an agreement on the return of immigrants. On Wednesday, June 7, British Ambassador to Chisinau Stephen Fisher commented on this. The open letter was published on the official Facebook page of the embassy.
“The European Political Community (EPC) Summit which Moldova hosted on 1 June was one of our most important high-level meetings. Moldova was indeed seen to be at the heart of Europe. The UK Prime Minister has written to Madam President, congratulating and thanking her for the immaculate organization of the Summit, and looking forward to welcoming her to the EPC Summit in our country in 2024.”
After that, Fisher emphasized the need to identify illegal migrants in the UK.
“Prime Minister Sunak’s presence and active participation in the Summit was a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to European security (as the most prominent European supporter of Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s invasion) and to Moldova. At the Summit, PM Sunak announced that the UK plans to negotiate a migrant returns agreement with the Republic of Moldova. The purpose of such returns agreements, which we already have in place with multiple countries, is to facilitate the return of those in our country 𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘, with no right to remain in the UK.
The vast majority of Moldovan residents in the UK are there legally. Nobody who is in the UK legally – Moldovan or of any other nationality – needs to fear a returns agreement. We are very proud to host many tens of thousands of Moldovans in all parts of the United Kingdom. The vast majority of them are formally settled and are making a fantastic contribution to our country.
As President Sandu has said, the Moldovan government does not support illegal migration. Nor does the UK government and any such agreement will be of benefit to both the UK and Moldova in our efforts to address illegal migration. But legal migration breathes life into our respective economies and we welcome that.”