Ambassador: Georgians will be employed legally in Germany

Georgian Ambassador to Germany Elguja Khokrishvili says that a law allowing citizens of Georgia to be employed legally in Germany will go into force in six to seven months, Khokrishvili told the Palitra media.

“The German Bundestag and then the upper chamber passed the law, which will go into force in six to seven months, allowing the citizens of Georgia to be employed legally in the country.

“Georgian citizens will have the right to find an employer in Germany in advance and then receive the job visa. Also, they will be given a simplified opportunity to find a professional training place, go to Germany and have the professional training,” Khokrishvili said.

Khokrishvili added that this law allows people to stay in Germany for six months and find a job.

“We are working on the translation of the law in order to provide this information to citizens of Georgia,” Khokrishvili said.

He states that the Georgian embassy is working on a seasonal, three-month employment possibility in the agriculture sector.

“When there is the crop season, German companies look for workers to employ them for three months. We have plans to check living conditions, possible health insurance, who will pay for transport, minimum salary, etc. We have communicated with several companies which are ready to select 3,000-10,000 people according to relevant criteria next year for the seasonal work,” Khokrishvili says.

Earlier in April, the government of Portugal expressed readiness to sign an agreement with Georgia on legal employment.

After France, Portugal will be the second country with whom Georgia will sign such a deal.

A pilot project for working migration is being carried out with Poland; negotiations are in progress with Israel and EU member countries, the Georgian Foreign Ministry says.

Georgia sees legal employment as the possibility to decrease the number of illegal migrants and to allow Georgians to gain a qualification in a number of fields.

Those employed legally abroad will have to return home after a certain period.