Georgian Labour Minister: Government committed to increasing opportunities for citizens’ labour rights

Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Georgian minister of internally displaced persons from the occupied territories, labour, health and social affairs, on Saturday said the government’s primary focus was to expand employment opportunities for its own citizens while regulating labour migration.

Speaking on Imedi TV show Open Air - Debates, Sarjveladze addressed the growing issue of labour migration in Georgia, emphasising the need for balanced policies that protect citizens’ interests while responding to economic realities.

“First and foremost, the state is focused on ensuring that its citizens have greater opportunities and more avenues to exercise their right to work”, he said.

“It is indeed important that public debates and discussions are held on this issue. While it was mentioned at the beginning that this is a new topic, in reality it has deep roots and has been a concern for our society for quite a long time. As economic activity grows, naturally, so does the interest in our country from people in countries where similar economic activity is not yet present. For them, this is a place of better employment opportunities and improved prospects, and accordingly, this interest is increasing”, Sarjveladze continued.

The minister noted that the government has already taken steps to regulate migration processes and intends to continue refining legislation.

“Naturally, this also brings associated risks, dissatisfaction, and discomfort. Therefore, I believe the state’s initiative to regulate this issue was entirely timely. We have taken responsibility for regulating it and have already made decisive and bold steps to manage migration - especially in cases where the interests of our country’s citizens could potentially be at risk. This is a multi-layered issue, and each aspect could warrant a separate debate. We will try to address all of these issues as thoroughly as possible”, he noted.

He further stressed that the right to work was a fundamental principle, and the state has a constitutional obligation to protect its citizens.

“This is, of course, primarily related to the realisation of the right to work. The right to work is something the state must prioritise above all else - ensuring that its own citizens have more opportunities and greater access to employment. This is entirely legitimate, constitutional, and undisputed. When the Constitution states that the state protects its citizens, it also implies that, at certain stages and in specific cases, preference should be given to its own citizens”, Sarjveladze said.

“Therefore, our fundamental approach is to ensure, through new legislation, that citizens of our country are given priority in employment. Only in cases where there is a need for specific qualifications or expertise that the local labour force cannot meet should we consider migrant workers coming in”, he concluded.