According to a US Department of State report dated October 8, 2026, Georgia has once again achieved the highest ranking for its comprehensive anti-human trafficking measures and, on a global scale, has maintained its position in the top category—Tier 1—for the 11th consecutive year. Out of 188 evaluated nations, only 33 were placed in Tier 1, according to the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia.
“By implementing consistent, coordinated, and effective measures to combat transnational organized crime, Georgia fosters a safe and stable environment both domestically and across the region. The state makes significant efforts to counter human trafficking, which underpins its consistently top ranking,” the agency’s statement reads.
The US State Department report highlights Georgia’s anti-trafficking efforts in crime prevention, identifying perpetrators, criminal prosecution, and convictions, as well as in victim protection and compensation.
“Particular emphasis was placed on the prosecution service’s effective pursuit of criminal cases involving sexual exploitation, the application of strict criminal penalties against perpetrators, and restitution awarded to trafficking victims through criminal proceedings.
International cooperation on human trafficking criminal cases also received a positive assessment, along with the mandatory involvement of the prosecution service’s witness and victim coordinators and ongoing professional development initiatives for prosecutors.
In 2026, as part of cooperation between the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia and the Council of Europe, a training course titled ‘Fight Against Trafficking in Human Beings’ was held under the HELP program (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals), with 17 prosecutors and witness-victim coordinators successfully completing the retraining. Systematically enhancing staff qualifications and implementing international anti-trafficking standards in practice remain top priorities for the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia.
Between 2016 and 2026, prosecutorial decisions initiated criminal proceedings against 94 human traffickers. Of these, prosecutions were launched against 36 individuals for trafficking in adults under Article 143¹ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, against 57 individuals for trafficking in minors under Article 143² of the Criminal Code of Georgia, and against one individual for trafficking in both adults and minors under Articles 143¹ and 143² of the Criminal Code of Georgia.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia continues to adhere to a strict criminal justice policy regarding trafficking-related offenses,” the statement concludes.