Couples looking to have children often turn to surrogacy agencies in Georgia without understanding the hidden costs
Georgia became a hub for surrogate pregnancies after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. DW spoke with parents, and those who wanted to become parents, about the hidden costs of a booming industry.
Three years ago, a German couple, Olga and Daniel, sought the assistance of a surrogacy agency in Georgia to start a family. Surrogacy is illegal in Germany, and German citizens born and raised in Russia, like Olga, must navigate the legal process of recognizing their parenthood through the courts. The couple discovered that Russian surrogacy contracts have been banned since 2022, prompting them to travel to Georgia, a regional hub for surrogacy since the early 2010s.
Over 3,000 surrogate mothers have been registered in Georgia since 2023, yielding approximately 5,000 children born through surrogacy. The number of children born to surrogate mothers has significantly increased since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with 1,100 deliveries in 2023 alone. One surrogate mother, Anastasia, has carried three surrogate pregnancies, including one for a Japanese couple through a Moscow clinic.
While Georgia offers surrogacy services at a fraction of the cost compared to other countries, with an average service cost of €45,000 to €55,000, concerns arise regarding the health and genetic backgrounds of surrogate mothers. The Georgian laws governing surrogacy pertain only to the relationships between surrogate mothers, intended parents, and clinics, leaving several aspects unregulated, such as social guarantees and contractual terms.
This leaves the surrogate mothers primarily at the mercy of the agencies and intended parents, who often apply coercive pressure to hasten the decision-making process.
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