Democratization Olga Vladimirova Participants discuss migration at a conference on new immigration legislation in the Russian Federation held in Moscow in December. to protecting the human rights of migrants in the OSCE region. Restrictions still exist in many places on the movement of citizens within their own country and between countries, while the lack of information on migration laws and the policies of other participating States pose a challenge to citizens and governments alike. Moreover, misconceptions persist throughout the OSCE region regarding the impact of migrants, and there is a limited understanding of the benefits of migration. Internal migration Assistance in reforming population registration systems and related areas The Soviet-era population registration system known as propiska is still applied — though often under a different name but with minor changes in registration procedures — in a number of countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This system imposes legal and administrative restrictions on the freedom of movement and the choice of place of residence. These restrictions violate both domestic and international laws and contravene the fundamental rights to freedom of movement and choice of place of residence enshrined in OSCE commitments. 34 Annual Report 2007 Under this system, anyone wishing to change their place of residence within their country is required to obtain written permission from the state authorities to do so; otherwise, access to state services, even the right to work or to enrol in a school or institution of higher education, could be denied. Other participating States are modernizing their population registration systems in order to keep track of demographic data and population movements or to improve the quality of citizen identification documents. The creation of modern and politically independent population registration systems can have an impact on the transparency of electoral systems by facilitating the compilation of accurate voter registers. ODIHR provides assistance in developing a conceptual and legal basis for the reform of population registration systems, and offers expertise in drafting concepts, laws, and regulations. In Ukraine, ODIHR published a practical commentary on the Law on Freedom of Movement and Free Choice of Place of Residence, which will be presented in 2008 to officials, experts, and NGOs dealing with the implementation of the law.