The EU and Georgia’s migration pendulum  From emigration to immigration?

Georgians are gradually becoming less “intimidated” by the prospect of the European Union suspending their visa-free travel regime — a shift that is hardly surprising. From the outset, the main motivation behind most visa-free trips to Europe was not tourism, but employment — often illegal.

Yet for several consecutive years, Georgia’s economic growth has consistently outpaced that of many European countries. Wages are rising, and an increasing number of citizens are finding stable and reasonably paid jobs at home.

The unemployment rate in Georgia has declined significantly. According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat), it stood at 13.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025. By comparison, in 2012—when the Georgian Dream came to power—the poverty rate was around 30 per cent while unemployment exceeded 27 per cent. In 2017, when the country obtained visa-free travel to the EU, unemployment was 21.6 per cent. By 2023, it had fallen to 17 per cent, and the poverty rate had dropped below 15 per cent. Under these conditions, like other relatively economically developed states, Georgia itself is becoming increasingly attractive to foreign labour migrants.

More and more foreigners who initially viewed Georgia as a transit point before moving to more prosperous countries are now seeking to settle there. Migrants from Russia, India and other Asian countries have actively taken advantage of Georgia’s liberal visa regime and the de facto absence of strict restrictions on foreign employment. As a result, the courier services sector has recently seen a noticeable presence of Indian nationals, which has already caused discontent among some local residents. The issue of illegal migration is beginning to concern society even more than the preservation of the visa-free regime with the EU.

Starting March 1, 2026, the Georgian government will tighten employment regulations for foreign nationals. The relevant decree, establishing the procedures and conditions for issuing work permits to labour migrants and self-employed foreigners, has been signed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

“We must uphold the labour interests of our citizens, which is a principle upheld by any country that genuinely cares about its people and their well-being,” said Irakli Kobakhidze while commenting on the new regulations.

According to the prime minister, the authorities have identified sectors where the employment of foreign nationals is permitted and others where it has been deemed inadvisable. Kobakhidze emphasised that these measures are intended to prevent excessive competition for Georgian citizens in the labour market.

“Regarding the decree, quotas have been established, including zero quotas in certain cases, which means that some sectors are entirely reserved for our citizens. Each decision was made with the interests of our people in mind, and we believe we have maximised the protection of their employment rights,” Kobakhidze noted.

According to a decree by the Georgian government, foreign nationals who do not hold permanent residency permits will be prohibited from working in passenger transportation and courier services.

In the sector of mountain, alpine, and ski guiding services, the annual quota for work permits has been set at 200 individuals, significantly limiting access for foreign workers. This measure is expected to create additional incentives for Georgian citizens to obtain the necessary qualifications and seek employment in the country’s rapidly expanding tourism sector.

Authorities in other countries also frequently restrict foreign nationals from working as couriers and taxi drivers.

In the United Kingdom, hundreds of people were arrested last summer as part of a campaign targeting illegally employed drivers and delivery workers. In Russia, similar restrictions have begun to emerge at the regional level: in particular, the authorities of Saint Petersburg banned migrants from working as couriers and taxi drivers in 2025 and later extended these measures through the end of 2026.

The reasons behind the Georgian government’s decision to prohibit foreign nationals from working in the courier sector are quite clear. This is precisely the segment of the labour market where newcomers can most easily find employment without formal qualifications or even language proficiency—apart from a few basic phrases. As a result, labour migrants often displace local citizens, especially young people, from these positions.

Essentially, the government is steadily working to expand employment opportunities for Georgian citizens within the country, reducing the need to seek work in Europe.

Regarding the link between the EU visa-free regime and the broader topic of European integration—which is often emphasised by the Georgian opposition—an international example is telling: the top ranks of “strong” passport indexes are occupied by Singapore, a country geographically and politically distant from the European Union, with no intentions of joining it. Yet Singaporean citizens enjoy visa-free access to around 195 destinations, including EU countries. The reason is clear: residents of a prosperous economy do not pose significant risks of illegal labour migration.

Of course, Georgia is not yet Singapore, whose economy has largely grown thanks to its strategic location along key maritime trade routes. However, as Georgia develops, it is gradually moving out of the category of countries whose citizens leave en masse to seek work abroad. Accordingly, the issue of curbing illegal labour migration within the country itself is becoming an increasingly pressing priority.

By Vladimir Tskhvediani, Georgia, exclusively for Caliber.Az