Ambassadors to Germany, Israel, Speak of Decrease in Georgian Asylum Seekers

The Georgian ambassadors to Germany and Israel stated that the number of Georgian asylum-seekers in these two countries has significantly decreased.

Elguja Khokrishvili, Ambassador of Georgia to Germany, explains that the changes came after steps were made by the Georgian side in this direction.

“According to the latest statistics, the number of asylum seekers has significantly decreased compared to the beginning of the year,” the Ambassador said.

Georgian Ambassador to Israel Paata Kalandaze says that although the number of Georgian asylum-seekers decreased, there is still much work left to be done in this direction.

“In 2015-16 more than 60,000 Georgian citizens applied to Israel's respective bodies for political asylum. In fact, according to the Israeli side, we were dealing with illegal migration. To avoid this, a survey is underway at Israeli airports, about which there is information on the website of the Foreign Ministry,” he said.

The Ambassador says the tendency of migration from Georgia still remains and the best solution will be if the two countries reach an agreement about the so-called Circular Migration.

“We are working on this issue and we have made some progress, but I cannot speak about the details,” he added.

By Thea Morrison