Migrants’ Access to Social Protection in Romania

Abstract

This chapter examines to what extent the Romanian welfare system covers resident citizens compared to foreigners residing in Romania and Romanians living abroad. In doing so, we analyse existing social policies aiming to ensure their coverage against a variety of risks at different life-cycle stages, including unemployment, poverty, sickness and old-age. The main conclusion is that the Romanian welfare state is open to all residents, regardless of their nationality, thus providing everyone equal grounds for accessing social benefits. The criterion of residence on the Romanian soil is, however, prevalent. This implies that relatively few social provisions are extended for non-resident Romanians, which represent an increasingly sizeable community given the intensity of migration outflows in recent years. Furthermore, the Romanian social protection system has had relatively little impact on reducing the risk of poverty and income inequality in the country, despite regular amendments during the last years.