The migration agreement between Germany and Georgia has been in place since December 2023, and Georgia has been considered a safe country of origin for just as long. However, the increasingly repressive policies in Tbilisi make it necessary to rethink the German view of the country.
Translated with DeepL.
Original language: Deutsch
One year ago, on December 19, 2023, the German Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser signed a migration agreement in Tbilisi together with her Georgian counterpart Vakhtang Gomelauri. The changed political situation in Georgia now requires a closer look at the objectives pursued with the agreement and a reassessment with regard to political persecution .
According to the German Ministry of the Interior, the migration agreement served as a "basis for permanently reducing irregular migration in the interests of both countries in the future ". Georgia was still of particular importance in Germany in 2023 when it came to asylum applications. In October 2023, for example, almost 9,000 Georgians applied for asylum in Germany. According to situation reports and decisions at the time, there was generally no threat of political persecution in Georgia. Accordingly, the recognition rate for asylum applications was 0.3 percent.
Georgia Was Classified as a Safe Country of Origin in 2023
More decisive than the migration agreement for the repatriation of Georgian citizens, however, were the decisions of the German Bundestag on November 16, 2023 and the Bundesrat on December 15, 2023, according to which Georgia was classified as a safe country of origin. The Georgian government did everything it could to assist with the repatriation from Germany, as well as from other EU countries.
This was the case even before Georgia was classified as a safe country of origin and is probably due to the good cooperation with the European Union and its member states at working level until the end. The classification as a "safe country of origin" was therefore referred to almost with pride in government circles in Tbilisi - or perhaps out of political calculation in order to rebuff criticism from civil society of the government's increasingly authoritarian course.
Focus On Seasonal Work
The intention to recruit skilled workers from Georgia, who are so urgently needed in Germany, came to nothing for the time being, even with the migration agreement. Years before the negotiations on the agreement, the Georgian side clearly pointed out that the emigration of skilled workers and the brain drain were not in the interests of the state and society in a country that was already small and heavily affected by emigration.
Cooperation therefore focused on circular migration, particularly of seasonal workers. The fact that Georgians are allowed to stay in Germany for 90 days without a visa made the pilot project quickly feasible: in 2021, the first agricultural workers traveled to selected farms throughout Germany. In 2022, 1231 Georgians received a work permit for seasonal work in Germany, despite some bad press about the working conditions. In 2023, this number rose slightly to 1269.
Migration Agreement Offers Further Opportunities
Much could be conceived and developed within the framework of the agreement, which promises training and cooperation in other areas. Cooperation in the healthcare sector could be expanded, perhaps incubation cooperation for start-ups. What was important for the Georgian side was the future of its young population in the country itself. But what future is there now?
If political persecution continues to grow and discrimination against minorities such as LGBTQI people increases, Georgia's status as a safe country of origin will have to be reconsidered in Berlin.
The political climate in Georgia is currently extremely tense. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who remained in office after elections that were neither fair nor free, announced in November that Georgia would not seek the opening of EU accession talks until 2028. This is seen by many Georgian citizens as a deliberate renunciation of European integration, a rapprochement with Russia and a fundamental breach of Article 78 of the Georgian constitution, which obliges all state bodies to promote European integration.
The Georgian Government Increasingly Suppresses Critical Voices
Although pro-European mass demonstrations have been violently suppressed in recent weeks, thousands of people gather daily in Tbilisi and other major cities to protest. The Georgian Dream party, which remains in power, is pursuing a policy that increasingly suppresses independent voices. Activists, journalists, opposition politicians and especially the large number of courageous state employees who speak out critically are the target of intimidation, threats and physical violence.
Kobachidze also wants to "eradicate liberal fascism". In 2025, the recently adopted "foreign agent law" and anti-LGBTQI legislation could be enforced, which could mean heavy fines and even prison sentences, especially for those working in civil society organizations and the media.
Activists in Tbilisi say the classification as a safe country of origin legitimizes the increasingly repressive government policy. If political persecution continues to grow and discrimination against minorities such as LGBTQI people increases, Georgia's status as a safe country of origin must be reconsidered in Berlin.
This article first appeared on Table.Media.
