IOM Moldova has released the first comprehensive assessment of migration management structures conducted in Moldova - a country where one third of the working age population is working abroad, many illegally.

The 53-page assessment, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, includes new recommendations on migration management as Moldova looks to its new role as a border state of the EU.

The three-month study, conducted between August and December 2003 by IOM and international experts, was prepared in consultation with the Moldovan Migration Department, the Border Guards Department, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of the Interior, and the Department of Information Technology.

Key areas of the report include migration legislation, visa procedures, border management, data sharing and equipment needs. The report makes key recommendations for migration legislation, capacity building, technical assistance and the creation of a migration information centre to provide information on legal opportunities for work abroad and to