On 25 October 2018, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria met with representatives of the Georgian diaspora in Athens together with Georgian Ambassador to Greece Ioseb Nanobashvili.

Nino Lomjaria provided information about the Public Defender's mandate to the Georgian emigrants and discussed their problems that could be solved by the Public Defender's assistance.

The main problem of Georgian emigrants is the right to legally live in Greece. According to unofficial data, only 20 000 out of 100 000 Georgian citizens live in the country legally. The cases of detention and deportation are quite frequent; people illegally living in Greece also have problems with employers, as they sometimes cannot receive payments due to the absence of labour contracts.

The registration of children in school has been simplified in recent years. Regardless of having or not the residence permit, any person is able to study at Greek school, which is a great relief for the families.

Sunday schools are working in a pilot mode and Georgian citizens have the opportunity to study their native language. As the demand is growing, the Embassy of Georgia plans to create additional classes.

The Public Defender of Georgia plans to meet with Georgian diasporas in various countries in the future too, aiming at informing emigrants of human rights situation in the country and the Public Defender's mandate, as well as protecting the interests of Georgians residing abroad.