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In Georgia More And More People Wish To Migrate Abroad

March 31, 2010

Tako Khutsishvili

According to the 2009 report of the UN High Commissionaire for Refugees, Georgia is among top ten states whose citizens request migration abroad most often. Unlike 2008, Georgia moved 7 stages backward in the rating. Before that, it occupied 17th place; in 2008 5 454 citizens of Georgia had requested shelter in various states of the world; in 2009 their number increased up to 10 994.

 Afghanistan is the leader of the states from where people are fleeing. Throughout 2009, 26 800 citizens of Afghanistan requested shelter abroad; the next on the list are Iraq, Somali, Russia, China, Serbia, Nigeria, Iran, Pakistan and Georgia.

Report of the UNHCR Secretary General Antonio Guterres underlines that Georgia occupies first place among the countries where speed of migration is increasing rapidly.

Member of the parliamentary fraction “Christian-Democrats” Magda Anikashvili thinks the report of the UNHCR is not a surprise for her. She said people have been fleeing from Georgia for the last 20 years.

Magda Anikashvili: “It has not started today. According to demographic data, the population in the country has reduced with one million people. A lot of mothers have left Georgia and it creates very tragic picture in the regions of the country. Mothers cannot see and bring up their children. Georgian women, in fact, are working as servants in Greece and Spain. All these started during the previous government but many of them hoped after the Rose Revolution they would return to Georgia and start new life. If we review statistics, the situation has not changed at all. The biggest problem is that more and more young people are migrating abroad to realize themselves there.”

Chairperson of the parliamentary committee for the relation with the compatriots living abroad, Nugzar Tsiklauri connected the increased migration with the military operations in 2008.

Nugzar Tsiklauri: “After the Rose Revolution, Georgia had quite a normal position in this field. I directly connect the migration with the Russian aggression after what we received new wave of refugees from Akhalgori and Kodori districts. They decided to request shelter abroad.

Another factor is politically unstable situation last summer. I am sure it was organized by Russia. Policy of dead city and thunder-storm, blocked streets destroyed economical development of the country. It influenced the lives of many citizens and they left Georgia. If we study the statistics of the other countries, migration is increased if military operations start. When it is peace, people do not wish to leave the native land. I cannot see anything tragic if Georgian citizen gets higher salary for his knowledge and skills abroad than in Georgia. However, it should not happen when qualified professionals cannot realize their abilities here and do unqualified job abroad to earn money. There are some other cases too and nobody is going to neglect those problems.”

President Saakashvili often repeated in his statements that after the Rose Revolution much more people returned to Georgia than migrated. Apparently, our president should not boast now. It will be good, if he would not blame Russia in everything. The government and the president are responsible for it.

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