Discussion with Givi Silagadze, Nareg Seferian, Nadja Douglas and Tsypylma Darieva

Usually associated with outmigration, recently the South Caucasus became a new destination for a variety of migrants. Ukrainian refugees, Russian war-induced migrants, labour migrants returnees, among others, find a new refuge in the South Caucasus. Though migration, displacement and diaspora are not new in the Caucasus, cross-border voluntary and forced migration however opens up the question of insecurity in the region, of societal polarisation and of a possible change in the countries’ migration profile. How does recent migration and displacement affect regulations and perception of migration in Georgia and Armenia? What are the local responses, imaginaries and strategies for overcoming new challenges that the countries face in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine?

Summary of the Caucasus Network Meeting

Participants:

• Givi Silagadze is a political scientist and researcher at the CRRC-Georgia. Previously, he worked as a junior policy analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. His research interests are focused on public opinion, democratisation and party systems in Eastern European and post-communist countries.
• Nareg Seferian received his PhD from the School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Tech, in the Washington, DC area. His dissertation is focused on perceptions of territory, borders, and the geography of Armenia.
• Nadja Douglas is a political scientist and researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies ZOiS, where she coordinates the topic line In:Security within the research network KonKoop.
• Tsypylma Darieva, a social anthropologist, senior researcher and head of the Research Cluster "Migration and Diversity” at the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS).

Registration