The Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Committee held a session to review the activities of the Labour Migration Department under the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia.

The information was presented by Deputy Minister Giorgi Tsagareishvili, who stated that the majority of international migrants relocate for employment, education, or family reunification. He noted that Georgia is not immune to global migration trends, with legal migration from Georgia primarily driven by the same three factors.

According to G. Tsagareishvili, enhancing bilateral cooperation in labour migration is among the government’s key priorities.

“As of today, the government has made significant progress in expanding state-level cooperation in the field of labour migration and in creating opportunities for legal, temporary employment abroad. In particular, bilateral agreements on temporary labour migration have been signed with France, Germany, Bulgaria, Israel, and several other countries", - the Deputy Minister stated, providing statistical data on legal employment abroad.

Co-presenter Giorgi Bunturi, Head of the Labour Migration Department at the Ministry, elaborated on the steps taken by the state to regulate labour migration. He recalled that until 2013, there was no policy document on labour migration in Georgia.

A strategic framework was introduced in 2013, followed by the adoption of the Law on Labour Migration in 2015, which regulated specific aspects of the field. However, Bunturi noted that at the time the law was relatively limited, addressing only emigration—specifically, the employment of Georgian citizens abroad.

“Since 1 September 2023, mechanisms have been introduced for both emigration and immigration. This includes the launch of a specialised electronic labour migration system—an innovative tool that supports the digitisation of migration processes in the country. The system integrates regulatory mechanisms related to both emigration and immigration", - G. Bunturi stated.

Committee Chair Irakli Zarkua welcomed the presentation, highlighting the committee’s longstanding and active cooperation with the Ministry—particularly with the Labour Migration Department. He noted that it was with the committee’s active involvement that amendments to the Law on Labour Migration were adopted in 2023.