Tbilisi. International Association Civitas Georgica has been launched new project. The project aims to elaborate the local policies to reduce the impact of parental migration on Left Behind Children. The target areas of the project are Kobuleti and Tkibuli municipalities. The project “Cooperation for Local policy elaboration on Left Behind Children” is implemented by International Association Civitas Georgica in frames of the project “Strengthening Development Impact of Migration in Georgia” (STREAMinG), implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) with the financial support of the European Union and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Imereti. On July 22, 2022, with the support of the European Union (EU), the Imereti Regional Hub - Local Democracy Agency Georgia (LDA Georgia), organised a public meeting on the topic “Causes of Migration and Employment Opportunities in the Imereti Region”. The meeting was held within the framework of the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung funded project “Civil Society STAR Initiative”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Advocacy Network for Migration Issues (ANMI) to Be Established. “Vladimer Mkervalishvili, Executive Director of Rights Georgia, Project Coordinators Ani Mukhigulashvili and Ana Gudadze and the representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held an online meeting with the aim of establishment an advocacy network for migration issues. During the meeting, representatives of various non-governmental organizations discussed the goals of the network, future plans and network membership issues”. Read more... Source: rights.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia will defend interests of producer dismissed from Imedi TV Company. ‘Transparency International Georgia denounces the dismissal of producer Maia Stepnadze from Imedi TV Company. According to the journalist, she was fired from the TV company over a critical opinion about the government expressed on the social network Facebook’, - is said in the TI’s statement, - ‘Maia Stepnadze has a long experience working as a producer. Her programme enjoyed quite a high rating, which made the Imedi management reward her by increasing her salary one month before her dismissal. Considering this circumstance, it is unclear what any other basis for her dismissal could be’. Red more  Source: The organization’s webpage

Tbilisi. Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies publishes a blog post: A New Chance for Circular Labor Migration between Georgia and the EU. ''Every year, three-to-four thousand Georgian citizens try to stay in EU Member States (MS), looking for a (usually illegal) job. If each of the 16 EU MS as signatories of the Mobility Partnership with Georgia provides the country with a yearly quota of a few hundred migrants for legal circular employment, it could significantly lower the above-mentioned number of citizens striving to stay there illegally'', is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: www.gfsis.org

Tbilisi. "Eastern European Center for Multiparty Democracy” (EECMD) and "Open Society Georgia Foundation” are going to make a presentation of a report on fulfillment of commitments under the EU Association Agreement on February 16, in Batumi. The report is about following issues: fight against corruption and a civil service reform; labor standards; rights of children; environmental protection; equality. At 11:00, Ana Arganashvili, Executive Director of the organization "Partnership for Human Rights”, will talk about rights of children at "Independent Journalists' House” (address - #48, Memed Abashidze str.); at the same time, there will be conducted a review of issues related to fight against corruption and a civil service reform, labor standards, environmental protection and equality at the Eastern European Center for Multiparty Democracy (Democracy School, #20, Akhmed Melashvili str.). Attendance is free at both meetings. Read more… Source:http://www.osgf.ge

Tbilisi. The Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia has signed agreements with non-governmental organizations, winners of grant competitions. ''In order to support return and reintegration of Georgian citizens, residing abroad, the Ministry has been implementing a Grant Program since 2015. This year, the amount of GEL 590 000 has been allocated from the budget in this direction, which is distributed to non-governmental organizations as a grant. From 2017 the program covers the entire territory of Georgia'' – is stated on the website of the Public Defender in a social network. Reade more... Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. ''Young Barristers'' attended the 13th meeting of the ''Working Group for the Consolidation of Reintegration Activities'' under the State Commission on Migration Issues. The Commission evaluated implementation process of the state program on ''Supporting reintegration of the returned Georgian Migrants''. In full... Source:barristers.ge

Tbilisi. On March 21-22, 2016, the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) Committee on Migration, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons was held in the Parliament of Georgia. The theme of the first day was "Challenges of Migration in the South Caucasus and in the region." The session was attended by representatives of the PACE member states, as well as representatives of the executive and legislative bodies of Georgia. In full... Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. ''Europe Foundation'' has presented a new research to the society regarding the problems of eco-migrants and potential eco-migrants. ''The opinions of non-governmental sector have also been noted by the representatives of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia. According to them, from 2016 the improvement of the bases of eco-migrants has started with the financial support of the European Union and until the end of the year the agency will have accurate data'' - is stated on the web-page of the organization. In full… Source: garb.ge

Tbilisi. On November 30, the Public Service Development Agency and the Civil Development Agency (CiDA) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. ''Within the frames of the project the operators of the center will inform local population (considering the examples of Turkey and Greece) about legal and illegal migration issues. They will provide assistance to the migrants to connect with their family members through Skype, will help potential migrants to contact the lawyers of the organization and will ensure that interested individuals are added to the Facebook group, created for migrants'' – is stated on the web-page of the organization. In full... Source:The web-page of the organization in a social network

Kakheti. On initiative of IOM representatives the meeting was held in a public college "Aisi” in the village Kachreti, Gurjaani Municipality. The meeting was attended by students and teachers of various specialties of the college. As IOM representatives said, the meeting had informational character concerning to support reintegration of returned migrants and consultation of potential migrants. They also informed that International Organization for Migration has been working with migrants, government, non-governmental and International organizations for years to solve multilateral problems related to migration.

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released a blog on the Georgian diaspora living abroad. "Under unofficial statistical data, the number of our fellow-countrymen living abroad is approximately 1 607 744 people", the blog says. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Samtskhe-Javakheti. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center has released a publication "Eco-Migrants from Tsalka", which describes problems faced by up to 3000 families of eco-migrants settled in the Tsalka Municipality. "... In the absence of relevant programs and consistent state policy on provision of residential space and integration in the "new" environment, eco-migrant families living in the Tsalka Municipality continue residing in grave conditions, accompanied by a constant expectation of eviction and a fear of being left homeless", the publication says. For the full text... Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has posted another education video in the social network concerning the consequences of violations caused by illegal migration.   Source: GYLA's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released a blog – "Draft law on labor migration: new, unjustified pressure on business". "The Parliament of Georgia started debating the draft law on "Labor Migration" initiated by the Government. Declared goal of the draft law is to create effective means regulating labor migration in Georgia, which will facilitate the development of legal labor migration in the country. Yet, we find that the draft law is being adopted primarily thoughtlessly, without due consideration and situation analysis", the blog post says. For the full text. Source: transparency.ge

The Young Lawyers' Association and the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development have held meetings in Telavi and Akhaltsikhe on migration issues. The meetings aimed to raise awareness of the youth on these issues, as well as receiving education or finding employment abroad, and the risks of illegal migration. Similar meetings will be held in other Georgian cities as well.

Kvemo Kartli. SIQA has organized an official opening of the "Future Generation" program on December 9 in Rustavi. Directors of schools participating in the program, civic education teachers and schoolchildren from all municipalities of the Kvemo Kartli Region, as well as members of the local authorities and City Councils and representatives of the education resource centers have attended the meeting. The Program Coordinator has informed the audience about the program, which covers all regions of Georgia and assists 480 schools to raise quality of the civic education. The schools will receive manuals, teachers will be trained, support will be provided for setting up the school-based civic clubs and for schoolchildren in the implementation of various projects for the benefit of schools and the public, as well as for other activities aimed at enhancing civic education. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) has examined the rights of residents of village Vedzatkhevi in the Dusheti District. "Geologic processes became active in the territory adjacent to village Vedzatkhevi since 2005, following which the houses became unfit for living purposes. The village is located in the dangerous landslide zone, thus causing a permanent threat for people living there. Part of residents has already left the village owing to these reasons. At this point there are up to ten households on spot permanently, who have no opportunity to find alternative residence and therefore are forced to remain in the village...", says the organization's web page. For the full text. Source: emc.org.ge

Kakheti. The mission of the International Organization for Migration has opened the Mobility Center in Telavi on September 30. As part of the project for empowering the Government of Georgia in the migration sector, the Center aims to support newly returned migrants to Georgia requiring assistance.

Imereti. On September 17 the members of the Youth Center of Kutaisi have organized a public information campaign on illegal migration and trafficking. The aim of the campaign was informing population about hazards of illegal migration and trafficking.For this purpose, the young people marched and distributed informational materials provided by various organizations to the population.  Source: The organization’s page in the social network.     

Imereti. As part of the project of the Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center - "Individual Assistance to Georgian Migrants", an information meeting was organized on September 9 in village Kukhi of the Khoni Municipality, attended by potential migrants. Prior to the discussion, they have watched a film about the history and traditions of Greece and Turkey and the migration-related issues in these countries. After the film, meeting participants have discusses pros and cons of migration.The project "Individual Assistance to Georgian Migrants" is initiated by the civil development agency – "Sida" with financial support from the EU. The project is implemented in 5 regions of Georgia – Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti, Samegrelo and Adjara. The Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center is a project partner in Imereti. Source: the organization's page in the social network.