Research Papers Drafted within the Framework of the “Building Training and Analytical Capacities on Migration in Moldova and Georgia (GOVAC)” Project Internship to ICMPD, September 2011 GOVAC Project Internship to ICMPD Research Papers A collection of Research Papers drafted by the participants of the GOVAC project Internship to ICMPD, September 2011: Ms. Natalia Chubinidze, the representative of the International Relations and Project Management Division of the Civil Registry Agency, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, Ms. Mariam Kevlishvili, Assistant Professor at the Tbilisi State University, Mr. Veaceslav Cirlig, Head of the Migration Policy Department of the Bureau for Migration and Asylum, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr. Valeriu Mosneaga, Head of the Political Science Department of the Faculty of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences, Moldova State University. Edited by the ICMPD GOVAC project team and Research Unit Vienna - Austria GOVAC project is funded by the European Commission International Centre for Migration Policy Development • September 2012 Acknowledgements This collection is prepared and published as a part of the “Building Training and Analytical Capacities on Migration in Moldova and Georgia (GOVAC)” project funded by the European Commission and the EU MS and Switzerland. The research papers published in this reader are drafted by the participants of the GOVAC Internship in ICMPD – representatives of Governmental and Academic institutions of Georgia and Moldova. The authors of the papers were working independently on the chosen research topic under the supervision of the ICMPD Research unit and the GOVAC project team members. The views and conclusions expressed by the authors in their research papers do not necessary reflect views of ICMPD. This publication was elaborated and edited by the GOVAC project team (Mr. Martin Hofmann, Programme Manager, Ms. Alenka Prvinsek Persoglio, Senior Policy Adviser, Ms. Violeta Wagner, Project Manager, and Ms. Xenia Pilipenko, Project Assistant) and ICMPD Research Unit (Mr. David Reichel, Research Officer). The GOVAC project team would like to express its gratitude to all participants of the Internship to ICMPD for their contributions to the GOVAC project and this publication. International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Gonzagagasse 1 A-1010 Vienna Austria www.icmpd.org International Centre for Migration Policy Development Austria, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission of the copyright owners. This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Commission, EU MS and Switzerland. The contents of this publication is the sole responsibility of the research papers’ authors ICMPD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union and other donors. Printed and bound in Austria by OstWest Media. ISBN: Table of Contents FOREWORD .............................................................................................................. 6 CITIZENSHIP POLICIES IN GEORGIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION, NATALIA CHUBINIDZE AND MARIAM KEVLISHVILI .............................................................. 8 I. Introduction and general overview of the research subject 8 II. Current situation and developments in Georgia: migration policies and access to citizenship 10 II.1. Migration Management in Georgia .....................................................................10 II.2. Legal Residence of aliens in Georgia .................................................................12 II.3. Rights and Duties of Foreigners in Georgia ........................................................13 II.4. Access to Georgian Citizenship .........................................................................15 Special section: Links between migration and statelessness 18 New approaches to and challenges of statelessness ................................................18 The situation of statelessness in Georgia ..................................................................21 III. Opportunities for legal integration for third country nationals in the European Union and citizenship policies as a last step in the legal integration process 25 III.1. Legal Integration Policies in EU ........................................................................25 III.2. Citizenship Policies in EU Member States .........................................................29 III.3. Acquiring citizenship for Georgian nationals in EU ............................................33 IV. Conclusions 38 V. References 40 MIGRATION MOVEMENTS BETWEEN MOLDOVA AND THE EU: POLICIES AND NUMBERS, VEACESLAV CIRLIG AND VALERIU MOSNEAGA ........................... 42 I. Introduction and general overview of the research subject 42 II. National policies in migration and asylum in the Republic of Moldova 44 II. 1. General country background .............................................................................44 II.2. Social & economic context of migration of Moldovan citizens .............................46 II.3. Development of the state migration and asylum policy of the Republic of Moldova and state of play .......................................................................................................49 II.4. International & national legislation in the field of migration .................................51 III. Migration data sources 55 III.1. Migration statistics in Moldova ..........................................................................55 III.2. International migration statistics ........................................................................55 IV. Moldovans in the European Union - According to Eurostat 57 IV.1. Number of Moldovan migrants within the EU ....................................................57 IV.2. Legal immigration of Moldovan citizens to the ЕU .............................................59 IV.3. First residence permits issued to Moldovan citizens in the EU ..........................62 IV.4. Irregular migration of Moldovan citizens to the ЕU ............................................63 Case Study: Irregular migration of Moldovan citizens to the EU 66 V. Conclusions and recommendations 71 VI. Bibliography 72 LIST OF ACRONYMS: ............................................................................................. 74 List of Figures Figure 1. Overall Score of the Migrant Integration Policy Index in the EU, 2010 ...................28 Figure 2. Access to Nationality, 2010 ...................................................................................33 Figure 3. Georgian Nationals in the EU in 2009 ....................................................................34 Figure 4. Population of Moldova, 2010-2011 ........................................................................44 Figure 5. Moldovan population by main ethnic groups (according to the population census),% .............................................................................................................................................45 Figure 6. Immigration to Moldova 2008-2010 (persons)........................................................45 Figure 7. Repatriates to Moldova 2008-2010 (persons) ........................................................46 Figure 8. Number of persons registered in the Moldovan asylum system, 2011 ...................46 Figure 9. Main destination countries in the EU for Moldovan emigrants, 2008-2009 .............58 Figure 10. Number of valid residence permits issued to citizens of Moldova in the EU, 2008- 2010 .....................................................................................................................................60 Figure 11. Reasons for Moldovan immigration to EU member states according to Eurostat, 2010 .....................................................................................................................................62 Figure 12. New residence permits issued to Moldovan citizens in the EU member states, 2008-2010 ............................................................................................................................63 Figure 13. Indicators of irregular migration to EU member states with regard to Moldovan migrants, 2008-2010 ............................................................................................................65 Figure 14. Indicators of irregular migration of Moldovan citizens, 2000-2009, in Central and Eastern European countries .................................................................................................68 Figure 15. Registration of “border violators” with regard to Moldovan citizens by Romania and Ukraine, 2000-2009 (in % to the total number of cases registered by all countries participated in the study) ..........................................................................................................................69 Figure 16. Registration of “persons rejected at the border” with regard to Moldovan citizens by Romania and Ukraine, 2000–2009 (in % of the total number of cases registered by all countries that participated in the study) ................................................................................69 Figure 17. Registration of all indicators of irregular migration with regard to Moldovan citizens by Romania and Ukraine, 2000–2009