Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze states that based on the data from the general population census, the maximum number of foreign citizens living in Georgia is 257 thousand. According to his information, this figure includes illegal migrants among them.
As Kobakhidze stated at the plenary session of Parliament, “Sakstat” will publish refined statistics on June 25.
“According to Geostat data, the population of Georgia is 3 million 914 thousand people. Of these, the maximum is 257 thousand foreigners. Geostat’s data is not yet refined, and the refined data will be published on June 25. It is expected that this figure will decrease, given that there is some uncertainty.
Several important factors drive migration to Georgia. The first is that Georgia is a tourist country, and in such conditions, managing migration processes is difficult. The education system is also open to foreigners, and today 37 thousand foreign students study in Georgia. The third important factor is labor migration. There is a serious shortage of workforce in many sectors in Georgia, and without foreign workers, many projects would have to be stopped, because there is no Georgian workforce on the market that would be employed in the relevant sector. One of the important factors is illegal migration, which requires special effort,” - stated Kobakhidze at the parliamentary session.
Irakli Kobakhidze is being heard in Parliament in the interpellation format.
Kobakhidze was invited to Parliament by the “Georgian Dream” faction regarding migration issues.
