Parliament, at its first reading and under the accelerated procedure, reviewed and approved the amendments to the Law of Georgia on Labour Migration with 84 votes in favour. The draft was presented during the session by the Chair of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee, Shota Berekashvili.

“In recent years, significant steps have been taken to regulate and monitor labour migration processes in Georgia. However, challenges remain, and additional changes are needed to further enhance the management and registration of labour migration. This will enable us to maintain accurate and transparent statistics on labour migration, eliminate illegal employment practices, ensure a more protected and competitive domestic labour market, and—based on the needs of economic sectors—develop a flexible, results-oriented labour policy aimed at improving the economic well-being of Georgian citizens", - Sh. Berekashvili remarked.

He emphasised the key role of cooperation between the private and public sectors in strengthening the competitiveness and productivity of the domestic labour market.

“Ultimately, the objective of these amendments is to ensure the fullest possible integration of the available labour force into Georgia’s economic activity", - Sh. Berekashvili stated.

According to the draft law: A special permit mechanism for the employment of foreign nationals will be developed and introduced; Criteria for granting such employment permits will be established;Labour and entrepreneurial activities of foreign individuals in Georgia—including non-traditional employment scenarios—will be regulated; New enforcement mechanisms will be introduced for the legal norms, and the competent enforcement authorities will be designated; Penalties will be increased for employers who engage foreign nationals without obtaining the required employment permits; Fines will be imposed on each labour migrant engaged in employment or entrepreneurial activity without a valid permit in Georgia.