Since the last decade of the 20th century, almost one third of the population of Georgia
emigrated shortly after the collapse of USSR. Civil war, military conflicts of 90-th and hard social and
economic situation had largely increased the number of immigrants. Almost every third family had at least
one family member move abroad for work.
While Georgian citizens move abroad, citizens
of other countries move to Georgia, taking advantage of a relatively liberal migration regime. Increasingly,
Tbilisi-the capital of Georgia has become the host for citizens of China, India and Turkey as well as from
several African Countries. Most of them came mainly to work as labour migrants.
Dige is from West
African country Guinea. He is 31 years old. He arrived in Georgia since several unsuccessful attempts of
searching better life in different countries.
He works in a central market as a warehouse worker.
Rents a bed for sleeping the night, earns around 30 Georgian lari per day (equivalent of 15 euros) and
regularly sends some savings to his family in Guinea.
Dige loves Georgia but is preparing to move
to Europe hoping one day to get there. “Georgia is good country but Europe is paradise ” he believes.