Georgia
ON THE MOVE
CRRC & ISET
GDN/ippr workshop
Kuwait, February 1, 2009
Plan
•
•
•
•
•
Team composition
Sampling and data collection summary
Existing literature
Workshop and stakeholder interviews
Questions: Who migrates – where, why, for how
long? Who comes back? Effects on households,
migrants, political views?
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Team Composition
• CRRC – survey and data collection
– Regular staff
– Robia Charles, CRRC’s political science intern (Berkley)
• ISET – data analysis
– Faculty, both permanent and visiting
– Research Associates
– M.A. students and former graduates
• Advisors
– Ted Gerber (Wisconsin)
– Randy Filer (Hunter college, CUNY)
• Themes: Remittances, education and health, gender.
• BONUS: politics
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Data Collection
• Sampling Frame (PSUs) based on geographic
boundaries of the 2008 parliamentary election
precincts.
• War delayed fieldwork and caused timing
issues. Neighbors sometimes reported incorrect
information.
• Households sampled: NM 620; AM 660; RM
660. Crude response rate of 73%.
• Database: RM 347; AM 493; NM 645
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Excluded Precincts
Type of PSU
Total
number of
precincts
(PSUs)
% of
precincts
Total
number of
voters
% of
voters
Military/War affected/ Under
50/Unreachable
136
3.8%
31,243
0.9%
Ethnic Minority
139
3.9%
97,613
2.8%
Total not included in the survey
275
7.7%
128,856
3.7%
Total included in the survey
3,281
92.3%
3,328,080
96.3%
Total
3,556
100.0%
3,456,936
100.0%
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Screening Results
Frequency
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Has a migrant
1,498
11.9%
11.9%
Doesn’t have a
migrant
10,912
86.5%
98.4%
Don’t know
177
1.4%
99.8%
Refuse to answer
24
0.2%
100.0%
12,611
100.0%
0.0%
Total
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Limited Research Out There
• Ali Mansoor and Bryce Quillin, (eds.). Migration and Remittances: Eastern
Europe and the Former Soviet Union. (Washington DC: World Bank
Publications, 2007
• Mikadze, Tamar. “Crisis in Higher Education and Educational Migration
from Georgia.” Central Asia and the Caucasus. Journal of Social and
Political Studies, 2002.
• Rowland, R. “National and Regional Population Trends in Georgia, 19892002: Results from the 2002 Census.” Eurasian Geography and Economics,
47, No. 2, 2006.
• Tsartidze, M. “Specific Features and Trends in the Development and
Functioning of the Georgian Labour Market.” Problems of Economic
Transition, Vol. 46, No 7, 2003.
• Badurashvili I., Kapanadze E. and Cheishvili R. “Some Issues of Recent
Migration Processes in Georgia.” Central Asia and the Caucasus, Vol. 14,
No. 2, 2001.
• EBRD Remittances Study
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Workshop and Stakeholders
• In addition to our workshop, another one was held by
Danish Refugee Council (DRC).
• Most international organizations focus on regulatory
framework and not so much on development issues (with
an exception of DRC). ENP framework affects migration
related policymaking.
• About 20 Stakeholders: government officials (including the
State Minister on Diaspora Issues), private sector, Diaspora
leaders, NGOs, ILO, academicians, journalists.
• During the survey, we tried to interview local priests, but
they were reluctant to answer.
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Stakeholders
• Brain gain if short-term, brain drain of long-term.
“New mentality.”
– But! Migrants may get involved in criminal activities
abroad.
• Remittances: good but moral hazard.
– Investment (?), financial stability.
• Family situation (parentless children), demographics,
birth rates decline.
• Government officials believe that trends have
reversed.
• Protect property rights!
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Who Migrates? Who Comes Back?
• For absent migrants (AM) and returned
migrants (RM) we look at:
– Gender composition; Marital status and family
composition; Health; Education; activity before
departure; main households tasks.
• Where to?
– Destination of migration; gender composition by
destination; education level by destination
• For how long and why come back?
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Gender composition: 30-45 years
66%
64%
53%
47%
36%
RM (771)
34%
NM(195)
Male
Female
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
AM (125)
Marital Status: 30-45 Years Old
50%
47%
NM (860 people)
40%
36%
RM (190 people)
30%
20%
10%
25%
28%
19%
15%
9%
4% 5%
0%
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
4%
Health Status: 30-45 Years Old
60%
57%
49%
50%
40%
34%
28%
30%
20%
9%
10%
8%
5% 5%
2% 1%
0%
Very bad
Poor
NM (897 people)
Fair
Good
RM (195 people)
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Excellent
Language Skills: 22-45 Years Old
86%
90%
80%
70%
60%
52%
50%
41%
40%
30%
20%
13%
12%
10%
10%
3%
1%
0%
English
German
NM (1462 people)
Russian
RM (263 people)
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Other
Destination of Migration
60%
54%
50%
40%
35%
30%
AM
24%
20%
RM
15%
14%
10%
7% 6%
9%
5%
2%
7%7%
3%2%
0%
Greece
Russia Western Other
Europe
FSU
Turkey
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
North
America
Other
Gender Composition of AM by Destination
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
M
30%
F
20%
10%
0%
North Other
America
FSU
Russia Western Greece
Europe
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Turkey
80%
Education at Departure by Destination, RM
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Europe
Other
Technical
US
Secondary
FSU
Ru
Higher
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Greece
Post-doc
Turkey
0
.005
Density
.01
.015
Duration of Stay for RM from Russia and FSU
0
12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144 156 168 180
Months
.03
.02
0
.01
Density
.04
.05
Duration of Stay for RM from All Other Destinations
0
12
24
36
48
60
72
84
96 108 120 132 144 156 168 180
Months
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
.01
0
.005
Density
.015
.02
Duration for RM from Russia Returning before 2004
0
12
24
36 48
60
72
84
96 108 120 132 144 156 168 180
Months
.01
0
.005
Density
.015
.02
Duration for RM from Russia Returning after 2004
0
12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144 156 168 180
Months
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Why go, not go, stay, come back?
• Why go?
– RM: most common reason to leave was “to earn, save and send
money” (100%) followed by “to study” (19%)
– AM: most common reason to leave was “learn useful skills” (50%),
“get a steady job” (45%), “earn more money” (35%).
• Why come back?
– Most common reasons: family and done with whatever wanted to do.
– Among least common reasons: Attractive government schemes (0%).
• Why not come back?
– Lack of job opportunities (56%); Don’t want to return (19%); Lack of
money (13%);
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Effects of Migration
• Remittances:
–
–
–
–
Who sends remittances
How much and how often
How are remittances spent
Structure of the recipient household
• Migrant
–
–
–
–
Income/wealth change
Gain in education and qualifications
Change in main activity
RM versus AM: main household tasks
• BONUS: Political Views
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Mean Remittances by Age Groups (GEL)
7000
6,599
6000
5000
4000
3,674
3000
2,697
2000
1,289
1000
0
17-25 (87)
26-35 (121)
36-50 (176)
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
51-up (47)
Mean Remittances by Country (GEL)
9000
8,231
8000
7000
6000
5000
4,327
3,663
4000
3000
2,541
2,115
2000
1,400
1,335
Russia
Turkey
1000
0
North
America
Western
Europe
Other
Greece
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
FSU
Percentage of Migrants Sending Remittances by
Gender
90%
78%
80%
70%
65%
60%
55%
49%
50%
Male
40%
Female
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 Migrant
1-7 Migrants
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Percentage of Households Receiving Remittances According to the
Presence of Migrant Children in the Family
90%
78%
80%
70%
67%
60%
50%
Children
40%
No Children
33%
30%
21%
20%
10%
0%
Receive
Don't Receive
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Percentage of Households Receiving Remittances over
Three Categories
80%
68%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
17%
20%
10%
10%
0%
No migrant
Returned
No migrant
Returned
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Current
Current
Has it made you richer?
• RM: slightly (38%); the same (23%); much
wealthier (19%)
• AM: slightly (38%); much wealthier (36%); the
same (10%)
• Perception?
• Successes and failures?
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Gains
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
Qualification gained while abroad
30%
Secondary
25%
20%
26%
Higher
Work qualification
20%
17%
19%
15%
15%
10%
8%
7%
7%
5%
3%
2% 2%
2%
0% 0% 0%
0%
Rural
Urban
Capital
Rural
AM
0% 0%
Urban
RM
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
1%
Capital
Weekly average expenditure for HHs
140
112GEL
120
87 GEL
100
5
6
80
17
86 GEL
5
8
13
7
8
19
60
89
40
69
72
NM
AM
20
0
Food
Transport
House supplies
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
RM
Toiletries and cosmetics
BONUS: Politics
• Politics plays minor role
– Most common reasons to leave for RM: 3rd in
ranks with 11%
– Most common reasons to leave for AM: not
mentioned
– Least common reason to migrate for AM: 1st in
ranks with 0.15%
– Most coming reasons for NOT returning for AM:
8th in ranks with 5%
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE
CRRC & ISET: Georgia ON THE MOVE