There are 3 different categories of illegal movement of people across borders - Illegal immigration, human smuggling, and human trafficking - and each of these concepts have quite different legal and political consequences. Poverty and warfare contribute to the rising tide of migration, both legal and illegal. Smuggling and trafficking ‘employs’ millions of people every year, and leads to the annual turnover of billions of dollars. The current study examines the existing situation (with regard to legal and illegal immigration) in the Republic of Moldova. Migration stream coming from Moldova is estimated as 10000 people a month, mainly to Europe, and mostly motivated by poverty. Both negative and positive consequences of the immigration are discussed, with regard to the political, economical and social aspects of the phenomenon.