Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili announced on June 12 that his country is considering a draft law that would put an end to the country’s booming foreign surrogacy business.
The Health, Labor, and Social Affairs Ministry’s current law would put an end to the country’s women carrying and delivering the biological children of foreigners after 2023. Gharibashvili cited several reasons for the law change, including safety concerns, human trafficking risks, and the fear that children are going to the homes of same-sex couples.
“There are reports that same-sex couples are picking up the babies born here and there can be countless problems,” said Garibashvili.
Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili has also cited the risks of “unethical and bad practices,” including “child selling” and “organ trafficking,” that have arisen from poor legislation. “Since the issue was left unregulated, we were unable to track where these children were going,” Azarashvili said.
Going forward, the law would allow surrogacy for citizens under the “principle of altruism only,” though according to RFE/RL, that definition has yet to be further clarified.
Since the war in Ukraine, Georgia has become a hub for international surrogacy. A March report from Insider revealed that inquiries in the country have increased 100% since the start of the war.
“The whole world came upon us,” Ketevan Robakidze, the founder of Georgia’s International Surrogacy and Egg Donation Agency, told Insider. “Following the war in Ukraine, people from all over the world are seeking surrogacy here in Georgia.” Georgia is also considered one of the cheapest countries in the world for foreigners looking for a surrogate; fees at one facility cost $22,000, compared to $35,000 to $55,000 for Ukrainian surrogates.
Women in the country often make between $17,000 and $23,000 for acting as a surrogate, and most admit to doing so because they hope to alleviate their financial difficulties. “We take this step because things are difficult for us,” admitted one woman named Maya.
“Around me, women agree to surrogacy only because they need money,” said another woman. “Otherwise, who’s happy to be pregnant for nine months when you already have three or four children of your own?”
However, one woman told Insider that she would never be a surrogate again after doing it once. Her experience highlights the exploitative problems of a business that preys on vulnerable women who need money. “It’s extremely difficult. I can’t do it again,” said Natia Motsikulashvili. “I carried a baby for nine months, and then they took him from me. It’s excruciatingly painful.”
