Every year, on December 18, International Migrant Day is celebrated around the world — a day dedicated to recognizing the important contributions of migrants and drawing attention to the problems they face.
People have been moving from place to place since time immemorial. While some move in search of better jobs, education, economic benefits or to reunite with their families, others are forced to flee armed conflict, terrorism or human rights violations. Along the way, they often face the risks of human trafficking and exploitation, because Migrants and displaced persons represent one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society, they are often subjected to abuse and exploitation, have limited access to basic services, including health care, face xenophobic attacks and stigma fueled by misinformation. Due to the constant lack of safe and regular migration routes, millions of people continue to embark on dangerous journeys every year. Since 2014, more than 50,000 migrants have died on migration routes around the world.
In 2020, more than 281 million people were international migrants, and by the end of 2021, more than 59 million people were internally displaced.
Many migrant workers often work in temporary, informal or insecure jobs, which puts them at greater risk of insecurity, layoffs and poor working conditions.
Nevertheless, migrants can be a source of prosperity, innovation and sustainable development for countries of origin, transit and host countries. Their financial contribution through remittances is a lifeline for families and stimulates local markets, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and their role in the labor market remains invaluable. Their knowledge, networks and skills have greatly contributed to the development of resilient communities.
The global social and economic landscape can be shaped by effective solutions aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by global mobility and the movement of people. Ensuring migrants' contribution to sustainable development requires collective efforts to improve migration management and address the challenges faced by migrants.
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration provides the opportunity and guidance to actualize human mobility and take advantage of the opportunities it opens up. No State can effectively and sustainably manage migration in isolation. The Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Legal Migration is an effective tool for States to discuss the best ways to solve the problems of population mobility without compromising human rights of people and the sovereignty of States.
About migrants in Georgia.
In six months of 2023, the Georgian authorities granted humanitarian and refugee status to 104 foreigners, and expelled 102, according to materials on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
According to the ministry, Georgia granted refugee status to eight foreigners – four Russian citizens, three Bangladeshi citizens and a citizen with unidentified citizenship.
As for the humanitarian status, 96 foreigners received it, including 85 citizens of Ukraine, three citizens of Kazakhstan, one citizen of Iraq and 7 with unidentified citizenship.
In the period from January 1 to June 30, 266 foreigners were refused status in Georgia.
The majority of refusals are attributed to Iranian citizens (85). The list of refusals to grant status also includes 42 Turkish citizens, 32 Myanmar citizens, 13 Russian citizens, 14 Egyptian citizens, as well as citizens of 23 other countries.
At the same time, in the first six months of 2023, a total of 515 foreigners applied for asylum in Georgia. Of these, 104 are citizens of Ukraine, 93 are citizens of Iran, 72 are citizens of Turkey, 99 are citizens of the Russian Federation and 17 are citizens of India.
Who is Georgia expelling?
In the period from January 1 to June 30, 2023, the Georgian authorities decided to expel 102 citizens from 16 foreign countries from the country. The majority of the expelled citizens are citizens of Iran, Azerbaijan and India.
According to the National Statistics Service of Georgia (Gruzstat), the total population of the country as of January 1, 2023 amounted to 3 million 736 thousand people. During the year, the population of Georgia increased by 1.3%.
According to Gruzstat, the natural population decline amounted to 6,799 people, and the positive migration balance was 54,509.
The epilogue
In the following articles, we will tell you what lies behind the dry statistics figures using the example of the living stories of our wards who acquired the status of a migrant against their will. They had to go through captivity, torture, humiliation, starvation, loss of health, threats to life, and prolonged stay away from their homeland and their family. They were able not only to survive, but, against all odds, to put their ruined lives back together bit by bit.