Switzerland joins Migration Partnership With Georgia

The Swiss government have announced that the state has concluded a migration partnership with Moldova.

The Federal Department of Justice and Police of Switzerland (FDJP) informed that the federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter and the Minister Of Justice of Georgia Rati Bregadze signed a memorandum to establish a migration partnership between the two states.     

Georgia is the seventh nation with which Switzerland participates in a migration partnership. The two countries reaffirmed their intention to systemize cooperation in the migration industry by signing this memorandum.          

“The Memorandum of Understanding confirms the interest of Switzerland and Georgia in deepening their cooperation in the field of migration and finding constructive solutions to the challenges posed by migration,” Keller-Sutter said, praising the excellent relations between the countries in this area.

Experts from the two countries will now meet in Switzerland to discuss specific topics related to migration partnerships.

FDJP explains that the Memorandum of Understanding focuses on sustainable solutions. 

In addition, the same noted that a process of regular dialogue and joint reflection would help expand cooperation in other areas as well, such as prevention of irregular migration, readmission, and the promotion of regular migration, among others.

According to FDJP, the dialogue between the two countries creates a general framework for all aspects of migration. Nonetheless, it has been noted that it does not create new legal claims or obligations.

“The dialogue forms the general framework for all aspects of migration cooperation between Switzerland and Georgia. However, it does not create any new legal claims and obligations,” the statement of FDJP reads.

In recent years, Switzerland and Georgia have increased their exchange and cooperation to provide effective migration management, especially in the return processes.

A readmission agreement between Switzerland and Georgia has existed since 2005. 

Additionally, an agreement on visa facilitation between the two countries has been in place since 2014. Fast forward to 2019, the bilateral cooperation between Switzerland and Georgia was further strengthened with the signing of a joint declaration on cooperation on migration.