Georgian PM: Georgia will be fully cleared of illegal migrants

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said the country would be fully cleared of illegal migrants within several years, emphasising that protecting the national and religious identity remained one of the top priorities of his Government.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze noted that migration was a matter of significant public concern, particularly in light of developments in Europe.

“Migration is one of the issues that particularly concerns the Georgian public. On the backdrop of ongoing processes in Europe, public concern and interest in this matter are not only justified but, on the contrary, entirely understandable. Naturally, every patriotic Georgian wishes for Georgia to firmly protect and preserve its national and religious identity. Therefore, I consider it essential to share information with the public regarding migration and migration policy”, he said.

The Prime Minister highlighted the preliminary data from the national census indicating that Georgia’s population stands at 3,914,000, with approximately 257,000 foreign nationals (6.6%), including both legal and illegal residents.

“According to the preliminary results of the general population census, Georgia’s population stands at 3,914,000, of which a maximum of 257,000 - or 6.6 percent - are foreign nationals. For clarification, this figure includes all foreigners, including migrants residing in Georgia illegally. The National Statistics Office of Georgia will publish updated data in a few months. However, based on border crossing data, we can estimate the approximate number of foreigners living in Georgia. According to these data: about 70 percent of foreigners in Georgia (approximately 180,000 people) are citizens of post-Soviet and European Union countries, the United States of America, and Israel; of these, at least 40,000 people are former citizens of Georgia and/or individuals with Georgian surnames; 7.4 percent of foreigners living in Georgia are Turkish citizens, and 3.7 percent are Iranian citizens. Thus, contrary to widespread speculation, the combined share of citizens from these two regional countries amounts to only 0.7 percent of Georgia’s total population”, he said.

“From countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, there are virtually no migrants in Georgia - which, unlike certain politicians engaged in speculation, should not come as a surprise to those familiar with the facts”, he continued.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the economic contribution of foreign students.

“There are 37,000 foreign students studying in Georgia, the majority of whom are citizens of India. Seven percent of students are from Jordan, six percent from Israel, five percent from Sudan, and three percent each from Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Egypt”, he noted.

“On average, one foreign student pays 15,500 GEL per year in tuition fees and spends an additional 16,300 GEL in the country. Overall, the contribution of foreign students to Georgia’s economy amounts to 1.2 billion GEL, meaning that approximately 300 million GEL enters the state budget annually due to their expenditures. In addition, more than 10,000 jobs have been created as a result of their presence. Consequently, cancelling foreign student programs would cause significant losses to Georgia’s economy, state budget, and employment rate. It should also be noted that students leave the country immediately upon receiving their diplomas. Therefore, they pose no risk to Georgia’s demographic situation”, Kobakhidze continued.

He also noted that to strengthen migration control, the Government was reinforcing the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Migration Department.

“Although the situation is not as some politicians claim, much remains to be improved in the field of migration: first, we are strengthening the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which over the past year has expelled more illegal migrants than were expelled cumulatively over the previous ten years. Strengthening the department will allow us to fully rid the country of illegal migrants within a few years, whose number currently exceeds 20,000”, he said.

“As is known to the public, starting March 1, the employment of foreigners in Georgia will be significantly restricted by law, enabling us to properly protect both the country’s economy and the interests of our citizens. The Government assumes full responsibility for the effective enforcement of this law”, the PM noted.

Kobakhidze also recalled that in 2017 the Constitution was amended to prohibit the sale of agricultural land to foreign nationals.

“Let me also remind you that in 2017, it was our Government that amended the Constitution of Georgia to prohibit the sale of agricultural land to foreign nationals. Protecting and preserving Georgia’s national and religious identity is one of our foremost national objectives, and the Government of Georgia will do everything to achieve this”, the Prime Minister concluded.