Abstract:
In the period of modern globalization, due to the increased
number of people willing to leave their homeland and settle in a
foreign country, it becomes topical to separate the categories
and the types of migrants according to the aim, the period, and
other reasons for the resettlement.
The goal of the presented research is to qualify and clarify
the exact definition of one of the most popular terms – Diaspora
– related to the migration vocabulary. The qualification of the
mentioned term was the main reason for the workshop organized
by the department for relations with the diaspora at the Ministry
of foreign affairs of Georgia.
The term Diaspora (“διασπορά") is a word of Greek origin
and has the meaning of “sown” (< "to sow over, or to scatter"). In
Moses's Torah (Deuteronomy, 28, 25: ἔσῃ ἐν διασπορᾷ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις τῆς γῆς) the word diaspora is used with the meaning
of to sow over, to scatter and it is proved by the Georgian
translations of the Holly Bible too.
The mentioned term initially referred to a forced dislocated
ethnic group, but nowadays its meaning seems more widened;
particularly, in the language of the documents of official affairs or
other type sources the representatives of the diaspora are considered
the group of autochthonous Georgians, born and settled in
historical Georgia – currently located in the Georgian territories in
the official boundary of the Republic of Turkey, as well as the
descendants of the Georgian muhajirs (resettled in central Turkey
in the period of Russo-Turkey war from the 70-ies of the 19th c.)
and the Georgians, dislocated by force by Shah Abbas 400 years
ago in Iran.
In order to clarify the term and to discuss the appropriate
qualification the types of ex-pats living outside of Georgia, already
mentioned in the scholarly literature (Tariel Putkaradze,
2016, should be taken into consideration:
(1) Autochthonous Georgians – The indigenous Georgians
living in Hereti, Tao-Klarjeti and Lazeti;
(2) Historical Diaspora – the descendants of the Georgians
dislocated by force centuries ago from Georgia to Iran
(3) Historical migrants – the descendants of the Georgian
muhajirs dislocated by force 138-190 years ago in the Ottoman’s
empire
(4)New migrants – the Georgians resettled from Georgia in
the last 30 years.
