Officials from the ministry’s General Inspectorate for Migration in Chişinău informed that the ban on the entry into Moldova of AUR party leader George Simion had been extended for another five years, according to Euractiv.
The Inspectorate stated that Chişinău had informed Bucharest on the decision, adding that there was a dispute with Simion, which challenged the imposed measure in court. The leader of the AUR party retorted by saying:
Nothing has changed across the Prut in recent years. Instead of embracing the idea of union, politicians from Chişinău cling to their comfortable armchairs, professing love for Romania only when it suits them.
Simion was expelled from Moldova on October 1, 2018, and declared persona non grata for five years. The ban was triggered by an incident that occurred on August 27, 2018, during the Union March, when Romanian nationals were banned from crossing the state border of the Republic of Moldova.
The initial reason for the expulsion was the inappropriate and provocative behaviour of some individuals, their refusal to comply with legal procedures and a series of threats during interviews with representatives of the Border Police. However, the Romanian authorities refuted those allegations, stating that the nationals had behaved in an appropriate manner.
However, despite the ban, Simion attempted to enter Moldova in 2021 and 2022.
Moldova’s General Inspectorate for Migration stated that it had declared 98 foreigners “undesirable” since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.”
Foreigners can be declared undesirable in the Republic of Moldova if there are indications that they have engaged in, are currently involved in, or have solid indications of intending to carry out activities that may jeopardise national security or public order.
Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that he would demand explanations from both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Moldova on the reasons for Simion’s ban.
