Strengthening the Development Potential of the EU Mobility Partnership in Georgia through Targeted Circular Migration and Diaspora Mobilization

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen Georgia’s capacities to harness the development potential of its Mobility Partnership (MP) for the benefit of migrants, the sending and receiving country. This shall be achieved by means of activities in four components:

1. migration policy advice with regard to a development-oriented and migrant-centred approach: providing expertise to relevant Georgian policy makers in form of placement of a long-term international expert; conducting workshops and events in order to allow for knowledge-exchange;
2. developing and testing a pilot scheme on skilled circular migration that matches Georgia’s and Germany’s needs:  Analysing labour market demands and identifying suitable occupational groups, subsequently placing up to 40 Georgians in education-oriented employment in Germany and offering reintegration arrangements to them;
3. mobilising Diaspora for return, employment and start-ups:  Facilitating return-migration of up to 35 returning experts trained in Germany into the Georgian public or private sector and of up to 10 returning entrepreneurs into setting up small- or medium-sized businesses in Georgia; providing information on return migration/Georgian labour market opportunities and diaspora engagement opportunities;
4. identifying project-related best-practices and guidelines:  Producing a manual with guidelines for replication, detailing outcomes and best-practices of the action.

Though focused on in the separate project components, the above objectives are chiefly reflected in the activities and direct migrant support measures related to the pilot circular migration scheme (PCMS).

Purpose of the pilot circular migration scheme is to generating evidence (lessons learned) for the future development-oriented management of labour migration. The pilot circular migration scheme shall thus give the opportunity to exploring and gaining experiences with regard to the feasibility and opportunities of a circular migration scheme with respect to its triple win outcome (benefitting the migrants, the countries -and societies- of origin and of destination). 

On the basis of preparatory assessments with regard to a promising positive triple win outcome, the pilot circular migration scheme will apply to specific professions in the health care and hospitality sector. Up to 40 qualified Georgians will be offered pre-departure training in Georgia, placement and continued education in Germany, and re-integration support upon return to Georgia, including the support in transfer of skills upon return as well as counselling and support in start-up endeavours.

The project is bundling the core expertise of CIM’s portfolio on migration and diaspora (returning experts, migrant entrepreneurs, diaspora cooperation) and has at the same time a strong pilot character in developing and testing a circular migration scheme in Georgia as well as developing a business start-up scheme.

The project is implemented in close cooperation with the State Commission on Migration Issues represented by its Secretariat, thereby creating a spirit of strong ownership by the relevant Georgian Ministries and stakeholders. Cooperation with the GSMEA and involvement of additional private sector representatives in the course of the project moreover ensures a market-relevant private sector development-oriented approach to the reintegration and start-up activities supported in the project. 

The project’s duration is 36 months, starting in 2013. The project is funded by the European Union (Thematic Programme for Migration and Asylum - TPMA) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

For more information: 

• http://migration.commission.ge/files/project_anna_eng.pdf
• http://www.geschaeftsideen-fuer-entwicklung.de/die-laender/georgien/; 
• http://www.zav-reintegration.de/en
• http://www.migration.commission.ge

GFMD 2013-2014 - RT 2.2 - Background Paper "Facilitating positive development impacts of diaspora engagement in skills transfers, investments and trade between countries of residence and origin"

Centre for international Migration and Development – CIM on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Commission (EC); Public Service Development Agency (PSDA) / Secretariat of the State Commission on Migration Issues, and; Georgian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association (GSMEA).