Letter to Ilie Bolojan from the Commissioner for Human Rights: Requests the reform of the social assistance system

Michael O'Flaherty, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, addressed an open letter to interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, highlighting issues related to illegal asylums in Bihor, managed by Viorel Pașca.

O'Flaherty emphasizes that elderly people are treated as "beneficiaries of services," not as "holders of rights," which requires a change in the social assistance system.

The European official describes the situation at the center in Dumbrava, Bihor County, as "particularly concerning" and calls for a thorough investigation of the abuses and deaths recorded there. At the same time, he recommends strengthening control mechanisms, reviewing legislation, better integration of social and medical services, and an approach that treats vulnerable individuals as holders of rights, not just as beneficiaries of services.