Georgian president meets EU Commissioner Avramopoulos to discuss migration challenges
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos discussed the ways on how the problem of illegal migration of Georgians may be settled. Photo: President’s press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili met with EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos yesterday in Brussels to discuss challenges related to Georgian asylum seekers and the issues of labour migration.
The EU welcomes steps taken by the Georgian government to decrease the number of Georgian asylum seekers abroad [as the increased number may create threats to the Georgia-EU visa free deal],” Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Vakhtang Makharoblishvili stated after the meeting.
The steps include an information campaign, precise regulations and increased cooperation with the EU member states to settle the problem of the illegal migration of Georgians, Makharoblishvili said.
????????????????We had the opportunity to discuss #visaliberalization and the future of our #migration policies with @Avramopoulos, the EU Commissioner for Migraton, Home Affairs, and Citizenship. pic.twitter.com/jQmikYPxZ7
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) January 23, 2019
Makharoblishvili stated that the EU will encourage its member states to sign deals with Georgia regarding the temporary working migration, which will allow Georgian nationals legally work in the EU member states for certain period.
During her visit to Brussels Zurabishvili also met with the head of the European Commission, EU CommissionerJohannes Hahn, Georgian students and members of diaspora.