Romania, though not a popular destination for immigrants, has recently experienced a growing wave of immigration, mostly from the Republic of Moldova, Turkey and China, but also from Africa, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union. In 2013, there were 198,839 immigrants living in Romania, of which 13,000 were refugees. Over half of the country's foreign-born residents originate from Republic of Moldova. Owing to the former period of union between most of Moldova and Romania, many Moldovans are eligible for Romanian citizenship on the basis of descent. Immigration is expected to increase in the future, as large numbers of Romanian workers leave the country and are being replaced by foreigners.
According to DIICOT, Romania has evolved since 1990 from a country of transit for illegal migrants to a country of destination. Within the European Union, the country has the second highest rate of immigration from non-EU countries (86%), just behind Slovenia (90%).