Read Vaja’s story in English

Vaja came to Ireland in 2006 to apply for asylum, and lived in an accommodation centre for three years. He had come to Ireland alone, leaving his adult children in Georgia. He decided that he wanted to return to be closer to his family, and because he missed the way of life in Georgia.

Vaja made an appointment with IOM in Dublin to ask for assistance to return. He received a flight ticket, and was also told that he could apply for a reintegration grant to help him begin working. Vaja waited until his return to decide what kind of business he wanted to open, and then he submitted a business application to the local IOM office in Tbilisi.

After returning, Vaja lived with friends and family until he received the grant. With the funds, he began a small shop where he could sell cigarettes and food. A few months later, however, Vaja was facing business problems. The number of customers was decreasing, and Vaja had competition from more well-established shops nearby. Vaja closed his shop nine months after he had opened it.

Vaja used the remaining funds from the shop, and borrowed some money from friends, to purchase a mini-van two months later. The mini-van is large, with six seats, so that Vaja could begin working as a driver. He has set up agreements with small hotels who now call him when they need a driving service. After six months, Vaja had established a stable income from his new business.

Read Sofia’s story in English
Sofia was a primary school teacher in Georgia when she left in 2009 to find better work in Ireland. Salaries for teachers in Georgia were very low, and she was worried that she would soon be replaced by a younger teacher. Sofia’s husband was retired and her son was unable to find employment, so she wanted to earn a better income for their family.

Sofia knew other friends had gone to Dublin to work as babysitters and cleaners. After she arrived in Ireland she began looking for work immediately but did not find a job for three months. She found it difficult because all the jobs were short-term and she had to move frequently. Eventually, Sofia realized she could not support herself or her family by working without a permit in Ireland, and decided to return to Georgia.

Sanatha and her family came to Ireland to apply for asylum in 2007. She lived with her husband and their young children in an accommodation centre for five years while their application was considered. They came because they had friends in Ireland who said the country was a good place to live. Sanatha worked to learn English in the accommodation centre, and her oldest child quickly learned English in créche.

In 2012, Sanatha’s husband returned to Georgia following a diagnosis of cancer. Sanatha remained with the children in Ireland for a few months, planning how they could return. The manager of the accommodation centre gave her information about IOM, and she called to make an appointment. IOM staff explained that the family could receive assistance in returning to Georgia, both with the cost of the flight and with a small grant. Sanatha said IOM made it very easy for her to travel with the children. She also began to think about how she should use the reintegration assistance, and planned to apply for it in Georgia.

A few months after she returned, however, her husband left Georgia on the advice of his doctors to receive medical treatment in another country. Sanatha explained that she had a very difficult time after he left, and decided to apply for the reintegration grant to use for her children’s education. However, a friend advised her to instead invest in startng a second-hand clothing shop, which would earn enough to also put her children through school. Sanatha’s friends supported her, and invested in her business as well. The grant enabled her to buy the beginning stock of clothes.

A staff member from IOM Ireland visited Sanatha after six months to see how the business was doing. Sanatha reported that it is going well, although there is a lot of competition from other clothing shops. She is able to cover costs such as rent, the purchase of new stock, her home bills, her children’s necessities, and still have a little bit of money left over.

Mikheil worked as a driver in Georgia for many years before he became unemployed in 2003. He could not find another job, so he left Georgia in 2005 to apply for asylum in Ireland. He lived in an accommodation centre while waiting for his application to be approved, working small construction jobs in the meantime. Because he was not allowed to work as an asylum-seeker, however, he was unable to earn enough. He decided that he needed to return to his family in 2012.

He heard about IOM from a friend who said the organization could help Georgian nationals, so Mikheil contacted the staff to ask for assistance. He received a plane ticket, and was told that he could apply for a small business grant through IOM Tbilisi after he returned.

Mikheil’s family was very happy to have him return to Georgia. After two weeks, Mikheil contacted IOM Tbilisi and applied for a grant to purchase two milking cows. The calves are doing well and will provide the family with milk, butter, and cheese. In time, they hope to be able to sell these products in the local market.

Read Maxare’s story in English

Maxare trained in woodwork from the time that he was a teenager. He began as a worker and increased his skill until he became a master. Eventually he owned his own woodwork business, at one time employing fifty people. Unfortunately, the business closed, and for four years Maxare was unable to find work again. He decided to emigrate, and his friends in Ireland told him to come live with them.

Maxare found it difficult to leave Georgia at his age, especially as he could not speak English. At one point he prepared himself with notes in advance so that he could communicate with people. He found work in construction for two years before he became unemployed. When he could not find work again, he began to consider returning to Georgia.
The decision was made for him, however, when he received word that his son was ill. A friend told Maxare about IOM, so he made an appointment immediately. He could not speak English very well, and so everything was done through interpreters. Maxare felt that everything was made easy for him. He was assisted in returning very quickly, and for this he was grateful. Two days after he arrived in Georgia his son died. Maxare was able to see him.
Two months after his return to Georgia, Maxare knew the grant was going to expire. He contacted IOM Tbilisi to apply for funds to reopen the woodwork business. He used the fund to purchase two second-hand saws, one of them handmade. His friends also invested in the business with him.

IOM Ireland visited Maxare six months after he had returned to see the business. There are six employees in the shop now, two masters (including Maxare), and four assistants. Mainly they are getting requests for construction. They sometimes get requests for furniture-making as well. The sawdust left over from cutting the wood is given to the local community where it is used in sheds as insulation for animals because it is very warm.
At the moment the business is covering only part of the costs but they have a lot of plans and hope for the future. Recently, a man approached them with a contract to cut wood from his own forest. From next year, the shop will be receiving wood from that forest for Maxare to cut. Their new partner will export it from Georgia for sale.

Lela left Georgia in 2002 because she could not earn enough to support her family. She had often worked as a child-minder in Georgia, so a friend connected her with a woman who needed a nanny in Ireland. The family organized her visa and paid for her travel. Lela earned enough that she was able to contribute to her nieces’ and nephews’ education.

Lela lived with the family for ten years and they became like her own. She didn’t speak English before she travelled to Ireland but slowly started to teach herself. She sometimes attended a Georgian church while in Ireland, and she met other Georgians living in the area.

In 2012, Lela’s brother became sick. Lela decided to move back to care for him, but did not have the money to travel. A man at her church told her about IOM, but Lela was very nervous to ask for assistance because she was worried about being deported. When she finally met the staff, she learned that she would not be deported and could receive the cost of her travel to Georgia.

Lela returned to Georgia one month after her meeting with IOM. Saying goodbye to the children she had minded was very difficult, and she still speaks to them every week through Skype. About one month after she returned, she said that “stillness and sadness” set in. In Ireland she was “busy, busy” all the time, but in Georgia she is caring for her brother. She is working with the IOM Job Counselling service to find employment because she wants to stay active.

Lela also applied for reintegration assistance, to begin farming her family’s land. It has plenty of fruit trees and an area for growing vegetables, so she can use it to earn a small income. Lela used the grant to contract a gardener for one year to look after the grounds and plants. When the fruit is ready to harvest, he will gather it and prepare the products for export or local markets.

Read Imeda’s story in English

Imeda left Georgia in 2007 to apply for asylum in Ireland. Her children and grandchildren remained in her hometown. In Ireland, Imeda lived in an accommodation centre while her application was being considered. After two years, she wanted to return to Georgia because she missed her daughters.

Imeda had heard about IOM and the VARRP but she wasn’t sure if the information was correct. “Other Georgian people were talking about such kind of assistance. I didn’t believe them until my relative said to me that it was a reality.” After that, she made an appointment to discuss her return options with IOM staff. She learned that she would be able to apply for reintegration assistance to help her start a business in Georgia. The grant helped her decide that return was the best option for her. She said, “It is much better to return with the reintegration package.”

After she returned, Imeda received help from her children until she decided on her business plan. She submitted an application to the IOM office in Tbilisi to begin a clothing and footwear stall, and received the necessary materials one month later. Imeda decided to open a clothing stall because, “This was the best option for myself as I had only this kind of work experience.”

Elene lived in Ireland for six months as an irregular migrant. Before she left for Ireland she was unemployed in Georgia. A friend promised her a job as a cleaner, so Elene decided to move. She hoped to establish herself and eventually bring her family. However, she could not build a steady clientele because did not speak English. After six months, she realized that she could not support herself and decided to return to Georgia.

Elene wanted to return but could not pay for her plane ticket. One of her Georgian friends told her that IOM could help her return, and that they would pay for her travel. Her friend explained that if she changed her mind, IOM would not pressure her to return. Elene visited the IOM office to get more information, and her return was organized for one month later. IOM assisted her in obtaining a valid I.D. from Georgia, since Elene’s had been lost.

Elene still struggled to find work after her return, but was eventually hired at a café. She earns a small share of the income when business is good, but in the winter there are not many customers. So after one month, Elene applied for the reintegration grant. With it, she was able to pay for most of the cost of a TV (she invested a small amount of her own money as well). The café can now show sports matches, play music, and host karaoke nights, which Elene says had made a difference to the business. “It makes people more comfortable and attracts customers.”

Read Datshi’s story in English

During a period of unemployment in 2006, Datshi left his wife and family in Georgia and came to Ireland as an irregular migrant to look for new job opportunities. He settled in an apartment for nearly three years. When the economic crisis began, his undocumented status prevented him from finding consistent work. His money quickly ran out, and Datshi knew he needed to return to Georgia to be able to support himself and his family.

Friends told Datshi about the voluntary return process with IOM. He contacted IOM Ireland to discuss his options, and was told that he could apply for a grant that would help him to establish his own business. Datshi’s family owned a sheep farm in Georgia, and he decided to use the assistance to contribute to its expansion. He purchased twenty sheep for meat and cheese production, enough that he could work full-time on the farm to support his family.

Read about the Blitz Café in English
Arkadi and Sula came to Ireland as irregular migrants in 2007. Arkadi had been trained in woodwork, a common business in the region of Georgia where he lived. His cousins were living in Ireland and encouraged him to move, saying that he could find better work opportunities. He and Sula decided to go to Ireland with the hopes of earning more money, leaving their two children with relatives in Georgia. They stayed in Ireland for five years, unable to visit their children during that time. After such a long separation, they decided it was time to return.

A friend recommended that they contact IOM to help them plan how to return, since they were both worried about revealing themselves as irregular migrants. IOM staff explained that they would receive flight tickets to Georgia and could apply for a grant through IOM Tbilisi to further their education or start a business.

Arkadi and Sula returned to Georgia in 2012, and invested in a business owned by Sula’s family. The family shop sold flowers and sweets, so they used the grant to purchase new stock. After one year, Arkadi and Sula were able to invest the shop earnings into opening a new café in their town, called Blitz Café. The café now employs three staff and is open late on weekends, so it often turns into a venue for parties. After one month, the café is already earning more than the flower shop.