Estimates for Georgian Migrants in Turkey: Regular and Irregular Migration

Official migration statistics only show a partial picture of labour and other migration flows due to the informal nature of many jobs. Adding up net emigration from Georgia during recent years, total emigrant stocks might be twice as high as officially recorded or estimated. This factor is probably even higher for Turkey, given its proximity and relative ease of immigration and circulation. Based on previous work on emigration indicators for Georgia and an extensive data collection, I propose an estimate for the number of regular and irregular Georgian migrants in Turkey, contributing to a much-needed evidence-based discussion.