“From Illegal Migration to Legal Migration” –Project Presentation in Gori

Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli

Threats of liberalized visa policy and its economic significance, how can the country’s security be guaranteed in liberalized visa regime so that investors did not face obstacles when operating in the country? It is one of the main questions which law makers will have to answer in near future together with partner nongovernmental and international organizations and to revise liberal visa policy in the country. The project was presented in Gori; it is implemented by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development.

“EU Funded Project enhances right management of migration process between Georgia and EU; it is oriented on the migration development, analysis of the legislation and state policy, awareness-raising campaign about illegal migration and fight against trafficking,” Khatuna Burkadze of GYLA said.

The project works in four main directions: 1. Migration and development; 2. Promotion of development of migration law and policy; 3. Fight against illegal migration and trafficking; 4. Protection of migrant’s rights.

GYLA’s representatives said at the press-conference that they decided to work on those four directions as a result of survey conducted by nongovernmental organizations.

According to the survey, citizens of about one hundred countries can enter Georgia without visa. Whilst, citizens of Georgia arrive in foreign countries illegally that increases facts of trafficking; also, very often Georgian citizens become illegal migrants – for example in Turkey where Georgian citizen can stay only during 90 days without visa; afterwards they lose right to work in Turkey. As a result of law violation, citizens of Georgia are deported from Turkey and other European countries, where Georgia has liberal visa regime.

Authors of the survey clarified that on the other hand, part of private companies in foreign countries prefers to employ illegal workers because they pay lower salaries to them. Sometimes, they seize passports from illegal migrants that increases threat of trafficking. 

What legal procedures are needed to legalize illegal migration? How the state shall defend the rights of its citizens migrated abroad? Whom people shall apply when they become victims of trafficking abroad? NGOs and state institutions have already started cooperation on these problematic issues.