The rapid fall of the national economy that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union triggered outward migration processes in Georgia that were complicated by the internal conflicts of the early-1990s. Data from the Georgian State Department of Statistics (GSDS) shows that by 1994 Georgia’s GDP was 6.6% of its 1990 level, while GDP per capita was a mere 0.7% of its 1990 level. In 2000 the figures recovered only marginally to 11.9% and 12% respectively. Even taking into account the vast shadow economy, the extent of this economic collapse is staggering.

Although numbers vary widely, the most modest estimates indicate that some 250,000-300,000 Georgians have left the country since the 1990s. Some were victims of forced displacement; others left to seek job opportunities elsewhere, primarily to the Russian Federation, the USA, Greece, and Germany. By 2003 data Approximately USD 480-500 million in remittances to Georgia arrived annually, which constituted around 20% of the 2003 GDP and mainly covers the subsistence needs of the population.

Activities

UNAG has worked since 1999 to increase knowledge of migration processes within Georgian society and assist migration-oriented non-governmental organizations. The Migration Resource Center (MRC) was established in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), serving as an information centre and also funding grassroots projects in several provinces of Georgia. This funding mainly covered startup research on various issues, including labour migration, forced migration, and trafficking.

In 2004-2005, a group of researchers under the auspices of the Applied Research Center conducted an assessment supported by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). This project mapped the existing migration legislation, and provided recommendations for relevant actors with the aim toward strengthening their ability to intervene efficiently. It also reviewed secondary sources and literature and drafted a household questionnaire, which will be used to conduct a full-fledged survey analyzing labor migration patterns in Georgia.