Romania Legal Assistance

On this page, you will find:

To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Romania LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Romania country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Romania COI page. 

Refugee protection

Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Romania. 

The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Romania is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.

Romania ratified the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees on 7 August 1991. Romania is also a State Party to a number of international human rights instruments, including: the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

A committee for migration problems was created (Decision n E 417/91). The recommendations of the UNHCR concerning minimum standard guarantees are applied. The law concerning the status of refugees in Romania entered into force on 5 May 1996 and is in line with the 1951 Convention and its Protocol. Asylum seekers coming from war-torn areas can be granted refugee status for humanitarian reasons even if the conditions of the 1951 Geneva Convention are not fulfilled 144. During the provisional period, the asylum seeker has the right to a temporary identity document, to necessary living support and social assistance.

According to Article 15 of the Law on the Status of Refugees, a Convention refugee has the right to stay on Romanian territory and receive adequate documents, to work in Romania, to undertake all forms of education and to receive refundable support within the limits of the state’s financial possibilites 145. In practice, it is very difficult for a refugee to find employment without sufficient knowlege of the Romanian language and no language courses are organized. UNHCR assistance constitutes the main financial support and hundreds of needy asylum seekers and refugees rely on it. The slim chances of integration have forced numbers of recognized refugees to leave Romania.

 

w2eu.info – Welcome to Europe

Email: contact@w2eu.info or w2eu_info@yahoo.com

This hyperlink –w2eu.info – leads to an independent source of information for refugees coming to Europe. w2eu.info might be useful on their journey to and through Europe by giving access to counseling and useful contacts in different European countries.

Legal aid organisations

Address: Str. Mantuleasa 42, etaj 3, apartament 10, sect.2, Bucuresti, Romania
Tel: +40 21 31 26 210
Fax: +40 31 40 50
275
Contact Person: Bogdan Ghenea
Contact Person: Andreea Ghimpu-Lupascu
Contact Person : Andreea Mocanu


The Romanian National Council for Refugees (CNRR) is a non-governmental organisation, founded in 1998 in Bucharest, Romania. CNRR is the main partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in regard to the implementation of the assistance programs offered to asylum seekers and refugees. CNRR has been a Member of ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles) since 1999. CNRR is ELENA (European Legal Network on Asylum) coordinator in Romania.

CNRR provides social assistance services and legal counseling through its specialized departments to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. CNRR’s research and documentation centre ROCCORD specializes in providing COI (Country of Origin Information) for all parties involved in the asylum procedure. All these services are offered free of charge. At the same time, CNRR promotes the interests of refugees and asylum applicants by collaborating with governmental and non-governmental institutions, and by initiating advocacy, awareness raising and fund raising campaigns. CNRR also has a long and fruitful experience in working with volunteers regularly organizing social and judicial clinics as well as summer schools for students on migration and asylum issues.

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Address: Austral Street no. 23, sector 2, 024071, Bucharest
Tel: +40 73 57 21 252
Fax: +40 21 25 20 815
Email: office@arca.org.ro
Contact: sanduiulian@arca.org.ro

ARCA aims at defending and promoting the universal human rights, especially the rights of refugees, of persons granted subsidiary protection and other migrants. ARCA also aims at developing a network of organisations and institutions working to answer adequately to refugees’ needs.
ARCA works on the monitoring integration of refugees and advocates for improving legislation and practice in the migration field. ARCA also provides social services, legal assistance and assistance on citizenship procedure.
Social assistance includes social counselling, cultural orientation and Romanian language sessions, a small-scale project on integration of refugees in rural/semi-rural areas.Basic medical assistance is also available.
In co-operation with Bucharest University, the CNRR runs social and legal clinics and facilitates communication of students and volunteers with governmental agencies in charge of asylum and migration issues through “The Summer School on Integrated Assistance to Refugees”.

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Address: Pedro Arrupe Centre, Mr Ilie Opris 54, sector 4 – 041378 Bucharest
Tel: +40 31 10 21 432 or +40 37 29 36 346
Fax: +40 37 28 77 090
Email: jrsromania@gmail.com
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 09:00-17:30

Directions:
Bus 116, 141, 232 (stop Opriş Ilie)
Tram 11 (stop Opriş Ilie)
Metro – stop C-tin Brancoveanu

JRS Romania helps rejected asylum seekers, refugees recognised by Romania, or resettled refugees and are involved in all phases of the protection process. Activities are carried out at JRS premises and in Romanian Immigration Offices around the country (in open and closed centers).

  • Accomodation
    JRS Romania runs a night shelter for rejected destitute asylum – seekers.
  • Legal counselling
    JRS provides legal assistance and counselling to refugees in all phases of the protection process. Dublin cases and vulnerable cases receive special attention.
  • Social assistance
    JRS helps refugees and migrants search for employment and private accommodation and assist refugees and migrants to comply with state administrative requirements, including identifying durable solutions.
  • Detention
    JRS provided legal, social counselling and pastoral care in detention centres once a week.
  • Medical assistance
    Free medical exams and analyses, vaccines and drugs were offered by JRS thru private donations and in partnership with Matei Bals hospital.
  • Emergency relief
    Food, clothes, hygiene products, etc.are offered to persons in all accommodation centres across the country.
  • Education courses
    Romanian and English language classes and also computer classes continued during the year.
  • Recreational/Therapeutic activities
    To facilitate intercultural communication between beneficiaries: garden decoration, culinary workshops, etc.
  • Cultural orientation
    A number of social and cultural events for Ramadan, Christmas, Easter, New Year, March 8, June 1, World Refugee Day were organised.
  • Advocacy/lobby
    Training events and round tables are organised for all involved in asylum and migration to promote the rights of destitute refugees and improve legislation. JRS Romania has researched and contributed to studies at national and European level.
  • Country of return information
    JRS runs the Country of Return Research and Documentation Center who provides information and studies to judges, lawyers and authorities.
  • Volunteers
    A network of volunteers includes 45 students and professionals who receive special training.

Website
Address: UN House, 48A Primaverii Blvd, Sector 1, 011975 Bucharest, Romania
Tel: +40 21 201 7873

Click here for all current information and help points on the UNHCR HelpSite.

Organisations providing other support to refugees

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Address: Strada Lirei nr. 10, sector 2, Bucuresti, Romania, 021422
Tel: +4021 252 56 20
Fax: +4021 252 90 00
Email: accept@acceptromania.ro

ACCEPT is a Romanian human rights NGO which is committed to defending and promoting the rights of LGBTI people. It seeks to defend, by all legal means, the fundamental rights and freedoms that are enshrined in the Romanian Constitution and international treaties which Romania has ratified.  It seeks to educate the public, lobby and take action on behalf of LGBTI and minority rights, develop solidarity between members of the LGBTI community, and develop services that meet the specific needs of Romania’s LGBTI population.

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Facebook
Address: RO 300244, Timisoara,
Str. Molidului 8
Tel. +40 256 282 320
Fax. +40 256 215 659
Contact person: Mariana Petersel
Email: contact@generatietanara.ro

GTR is the UNHCR’s implementing partner in Romania, supporting refugees accommodated in the Emergency Transit Centre (ETC) in Timisoara. The ETC was established in Romania in 2008 to evacuate refugees at immediate risk while the resettlement process to a third country is still pending. GTR runs medical, psychological and social programmes for refugees accommodated in the centre. Furthermore, GTR works with victims of human trafficking, Roma and unaccompanied minors in Romania.

Website
Address: 11th, Viitorului Street, Bucharest 020602, Romania
Tel: +40 21 – 210.30.50
Email: iombucarest@iom.int

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) established its operations in Romania in 1992. Across the country IOM provides a comprehensive response to the humanitarian needs of migrants, internally displaced persons, returnees and host communities through humanitarian direct assistance, recreational activities, and a variety of other efforts. Learn more about IOM in Romania.

Address: 3 Stefan Furtuna St. sector 1 Bucharest
Tel: +40 (21) 316 61 76
Fax: +40 (21) 312 44 86
E-mail: rosc@salvaticopiii.ro

The organisation SAVE THE CHILDREN ROMANIA is a social institution, whose mission is toguarantee the equality of chances for all children, irrespectively of the community they come from, by using its own expertise, as well as throughadvocacy activities and lobbying the decision makers and by mobilizing the civil society leaders. All its actions are based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. For 20 years,Save the Children Romania, a national non-governmental, of public utility organization, has been promoting the rights of the child. More than 500.000 children have been included in educational programmes, protection, social and medical assistance programmes, stimulating their participation in activities of promotion and recognition of their rights. At present, the organization has branches in 12 counties and Bucharest, more than 6000 members and more than 1000 active volunteers. It is a member of Save the Children International, the world’s largest independent organisation for the promotion of children’s rights, including 29 members and conducting programmes in more than120 countries.
= Always acting in the best interest of the child, Save the Children Romania underlines the importance of and focuses on the right to free and non-discriminatory education for all children and their protection against any form of violence. The main fields of action are: Education, Protection, and Children’s Rights.

Romania LGBTQI+ Resources

Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Romania.

VISIT THE PAGE

Romania COI

Find Romania Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents. 

VISIT THE PAGE

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Last updated May 2023