The Republic of Moldova The Republic of Moldova • • • Moldova established its SDP on 28 December 2011 by introducing Chapter X (1) in the Law on the Regime of Foreigners. Centralized, administrative SDP is conducted by the Statelessness and Information Unit within the Asylum and Integration Directorate under the Bureau for Migration and Asylum of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (the competent authority for foreigners). Good practices include: • • • • • • • • • • • 34 applications initiated ex officio by authorities; applications accepted orally or in writing and in any language; mandatory interviews conducted within 15 days of submission of an application; the right to legal representation; the right to interpretation; special protection considerations for unaccompanied children and those with mental disabilities requiring a legal guardian; the right to stay pending an application; a shared burden of proof; decisions rendered in writing within six months with the possibility of one-month extensions not to exceed an additional six months; the availability of judicial review of a negative first-instance decision; and UNHCR access to applications and decisions. U N H C R > G P P AC T I O N 6 : E S TA B L I S H I N G S TAT E L E S S N E S S D E T E R M I N AT I O N P R O C E D U R E S