Migrant work permits rise sharply in early 2026
The number of migrant work permits issued by the General Inspectorate for Migration rose 2.6-fold in the first half of 2026. The authorities granted 3,900 temporary residence rights for employment purposes, compared with 1,500 during the same period last year.
“In the first half of 2026, we granted more than 5,600 residence rights to foreign nationals. Of these, 3,900 received temporary residence rights for employment purposes,” said Cornel Triboi, head of the General Inspectorate for Migration.
According to Triboi, many South Asian migrants choose Moldova because they can earn money and financially support relatives who remain in their home countries. The report links the increase to the implementation of Brussels-backed policies related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The article also raises concerns about migrants arriving with family members who are not counted in the employment statistics. Footage cited in the report purportedly shows migrants from India and Bangladesh being accommodated in a Chișinău Agrarian University dormitory after students were required to leave.
It argues that accompanying spouses and children could increase pressure on Moldova’s already strained social services, including benefits, kindergartens, schools, clinics, hospitals and transport support. The article suggests that the actual number of arrivals could be several times higher than the total number of migrant work permits, although family members are not included in the employment figures.
Nepal accounts for the largest group
The largest number of migrants came from Nepal, with 1,311 people receiving permits. Bangladesh followed with 959, ahead of Uzbekistan with 593, India with 248 and Sri Lanka with 148.
A further 117 people arrived from Tajikistan. The countries listed broadly correspond to those previously highlighted by PAS when discussing the growing recruitment of foreign workers.
Most migrants take jobs in construction, light industry, agriculture, hospitality and catering, and delivery services. The sharp increase in migrant work permits comes as employers increasingly look abroad for workers, while questions remain over the wider costs of accommodating migrants and their families.
