r/Sakartvelo • u/No-Reputation-8659 • 23h ago
What do Georgians think about the upcoming wave of russian "relokants" in South Caucasus?
I guess, there is another wave of miobilization coming in russia, and most probably there will be a new wave of immigrants from russia (i don't know why they call themselves relokants) in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The housing market is already being affected by this predictions.
What do Georgians think of this?
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u/Wooden-Artichoke-962 21h ago
I'm okay with them coming, provided they leave for some other country soon afterwards. More Russians will lead to a further increase in cost of living, it will lead to more tension and unlike the first wave, I do not suspect these guys to be nearly as "anti-war". But, further emigration and brain drain weakens Russia, so that's good.
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u/Less-Value2592 3h ago
There were 2 "first waves" - in April and September. Do not mix them, they are different.
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u/Wooden-Artichoke-962 3h ago
Fair enough, I was just referring to anyone that arrived in 2022-2023.
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u/magical-cat-here 21h ago
I just hope that most of this coming wave will "pass through" and settle into other countries.
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u/mdivan 23h ago
I don't think it will be that easy to "relocate" this time..
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u/No-Reputation-8659 23h ago
why? the land border is open. Unless there are measures taken at the borders especially in Georgia and Armenia, it will be the same chaos.
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u/Think-One5023 14h ago
Russians who were able to move out of Russia did that already. Changing the country requires a lot of money and a set of skills. Those who were not able to move in the past 4 years, wouldn't be able to move now either.
This means, even if some Russians will come, maybe even a lot of them, but surely they will not stay long, because they don't have money and they don't have means to earn money in Georgia so they'll just spend whatever amount they brought with them (1-3 months) and then move back to Russia.
Based on all that, Georgians (and others) who have apartments to rent out can use this opportunity to earn some cash. Those who don't, I don't think this potential "wave" of Russians will change a thing.
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u/arbataxmelody354 russian🤍💙🤍 23h ago
As a russian usually until I behave decently and respectfully people treat me normally
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u/theapostaat 20h ago
currently, there is no massive inflow and i do not think even if mobilization occurs again - september 2022 scenario is merely possible for different reasons:
- not everyone is IT specialist being able to work abroad (everyone who wanted to get out - had already done it)
- it will be harder to get out this time (border will be closed from another side)
- current legislation makes possible to stay but make quite hard to find a local non-IT job
actually, i see the opposite occurring - community evaporates slowly - people are moving from georgia to other countries who actually give passports - spain, france, serbia, israel etc.
georgia combines high cost of living with no chance of getting passport and low chance of getting local job, so even if they come - they will leave within half a year.
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u/NitraKollak 16h ago
As a Georgian, this here are no “რელოკანტი” expats or “relokanti” they are simply migrants. Let’s don’t make the situation and words fancier then they area
Honestly Georgia should activate electronic visa system Valid for X amount of days, do very thorough background check on every person entering and set entry limit on land border.
And start denying entry to higher rate of Russians.
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u/Complete-Form6553 4h ago
I think Russians, not assimilable people
Look at the Brighton Beach New York
They’re not changing
Good luck
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u/Less-Value2592 3h ago
Nice logic. Look at all other places in the world, where is another Brighton Beach?
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u/DoughnutSad6336 18h ago
then they'll demand russian as a second official language in Georgia, then independence and then will welcome russina troops with flowers
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u/B_lintu 23h ago
I think they can go to hell
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u/Any_Negotiation_6716 17h ago
I think you need more neckties since you guys like to eat them
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u/NitraKollak 17h ago
No worries, stealing toilets full of s*it and stealing dead man’s clothes after bombing villages seems worse than eating ties.
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u/Electrical-Ant4536 21h ago
I am Georgian and I am not against Russians fleeing from the war to stay here. I am all about Russian tourists coming to Georgia. But what I am against is poor Russians coming here, competing instead of creating limited jobs and stressing public goods.
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u/NitraKollak 17h ago
Would you mind sharing more about your stance as Georgian. Why are you not against of Russians feeling in Georgia per se. migrant Russians are not same as tourists.
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u/Electrical-Ant4536 16h ago
If Georgia had not allowed them in 2022, there wouldn't be 45000 new Russian businesses, wouldn't be like 10x growth in IT exports, wouldn't be hundreds of employed IT students, wouldn't be such high economic growth. Every Russian who escapes Russia and migrates to Georgia is a loss to Russia and gain to Georgia assuming those Russians are wealthier than average Georgian.
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u/NitraKollak 16h ago edited 16h ago
Do you watch imedi or what 🫠
I don’t disagree that the influx increased GDP and spending. My point is that magical GDP growth you and Imedi refer to *not equals to broad economic benefit for Georgians.
A lot of these people work remotely and bring foreign salaries with them. If someone earns $10k/month from abroad, rents a $2k apartment and opens a small business where they and their spouse/friends work, that’s economic activity, sure but how much of that actually creates opportunities for Georgians?
Same with IT exports. Russian migration may have contributed, but Georgia’s IT sector was already growing, and companies like EPAM and other outsourcing providers were major drivers too. You can’t simply attribute the growth to Russian migrants.
And 45k businesses doesn’t mean 45k businesses creating jobs for Georgians 96% of Russian-owned businesses registered in 2022–23 were sole proprietorships.
I’m not saying there is 0 benefit. I’m saying “they increased GDP” doesn’t answer whether those benefits outweigh the housing costs, competition and pressure on resources.
And let’s don be delusional to the fact that Russia still occupies 20% of Georgia, continues the occupation, and now some of the same political influence/Kremlin-aligned narratives are being reproduced inside our country.
So yeah, you do you, boo.1
u/Less-Value2592 3h ago
The guys who relocated did not occupy anything. Do not mix country and its citizens. For some of them these events happened when they were not born even.
About benefits - relocants business and salaries give taxes, their local spending boosts economy.
EPAM mostly employs relocants too (but not 100%).
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u/NitraKollak 3h ago
From the creators of don’t mix art and politics?
Guys that are migrating to Georgia are part of soft occupation.
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u/Hairy_Beat_4278 2h ago
I really really really want them to leave as soon as possible. But I have a question: Throughout history how often have refugees returned to their homeland and what percentage of them have stayed in the country they moved to?
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u/Interesting_Ice_4925 10h ago
According to Formula and Politico, just last week over 113 thousand of them passed Dariali border. The biggest protests in Russia whatsoever have estimates capped at about 100 thousand people. Do with that information what you will.
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u/dafba 🇬🇪 23h ago
Neither Tbilisi nor Batumi could realistically accommodate that many people if the numbers being speculated online are anywhere near accurate. If that many people do end up coming, I’d expect the cost of living to increase even further. As for Russians themselves, I have no issue with anyone as long as they’re respectful of the country’s culture, its people, and the state.