Tag: Georgia

The Role of Intermediaries in Georgia’s Transnational Surrogacy Industry

International surrogates recruited on social media face emotional control in Georgia’s booming childbirth market, new COMPAS study reveals

COMPAS | June 16, 2026

Intermediaries, including agents and clinic coordinators, play an important role in Georgia’s surrogacy industry, especially when it comes to recruitment of surrogates from Central Asia. New research suggests that intermediaries exert emotional control over surrogates’ living situations, working conditions, and health, in part because surrogates live together in apartments that clinics provide and therefore have limited privacy and mobility.

Read the full article ->

Central Asian Women Recruited Into Georgia’s Surrogacy Market via Social Media

The Times of Central Asia | June 24, 2026

The same research also shows that Russian-language social media ads recruit surrogates from Central Asia by promoting surrogacy as paid work. Some online recruiters and clinic coordinators were previously surrogates themselves, which can make the process feel less commercial. However, the bulk of the compensation for surrogacy is not provided until after delivery, which can leave surrogates with limited financial power even in the face of poor living conditions or a lack of support.

Read the full article ->



‘A guilty society’ — Ketevan Vashagashvili on breaking taboos through film under Georgian Dream

OC Media | May 28, 2026

A documentary called “9-Month Contract” follows the experience of Zhana, a single mother in the country of Georgia who becomes a surrogate. The film shows how surrogacy is overlooked but also stigmatized in Georgia, even as the industry grows – and increasingly relies on surrogates from Central Asian and African countries. 

Read the full article ->

Filipina recruited for surrogacy stopped from leaving PH — BI

Philippine Daily Inquirer | April 12, 2026

The Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines reports that immigration officers stopped a woman in the Manila airport who was traveling to Beijing, and then Tbilisi, Georgia, to be a surrogate. She had been contacted by a recruiter via Facebook and was offered money in exchange for surrogacy services –– a practice regarded as human trafficking by authorities in the Philippines.

Read the full article ->

‘I didn’t come here to get rich’: new research on the lives of Ukrainian women in Georgia’s surrogacy boom

The Conversation | March 26, 2026

New research on Ukrainian surrogates’ experiences in Georgia–following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine–show how surrogates lack strong legal protections and would benefit from clearer and more thorough policy-making on cross-border surrogacy.

Read the full article ->

 

They Answered an Ad for Surrogates, and Found Themselves in a Nightmare

The New York Times | December 14, 2025

Thai women were lured to Georgia by the promise of paid surrogacy, but had little power once they arrived–unable to leave, faced with poor living conditions, subject to unknown medical procedures (likely egg extraction), and targeted with abuse.

Read the full article ->



Georgia’s surrogacy clinics attract hundreds of Australians but ethical questions remain

ABC News | October 25, 2025

The country of Georgia has become a hub for compensated surrogacy, especially for Australian intended parents. However, unethical practices and exploitation of surrogates raise concerns about the industry and the limited regulations governing it. 

Read the full article ->



A Surrogacy Silk Road: Chinese Parents Head West for Babies

ChinaFile | October 3, 2025

Georgia and nearby post-Soviet countries are growing in popularity among Chinese parents pursuing parenthood via surrogacy –– a practice banned in China. With increasing demand, legal grey areas and complex parentage processes in China have resulted in exploitation of surrogates and intended parents.

Read the full article ->

Control and Salt Curses: Surrogacy and Migration

COMPAS | May 2, 2025

Intermediaries in Georgia’s surrogacy industry not only facilitate migration of surrogates from other countries in Central Asia to Georgia, but they also serve as the supervisors of surrogates for clinics. They respond to their needs, but they maintain tight control over surrogates’ lives.

Read the full article ->



A Gold Mine for Georgia? Surrogacy and Migration

COMPAS | April 30, 2025

Georgia has become a destination for surrogacy, especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Demand is so high, clinics recruit women from other countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, to come work as surrogates.

Read the full article ->

Wombs for Hire: Inside Europe’s Underground Surrogacy Networks

Ms. Magazine | March 2, 2025

Inconsistent laws and regulations governing surrogacy in different countries have led to underground operations that enable unethical practices and exploitation––including in Turkey, Georgia, and Northern Cyprus. 

Read the full article ->