**Georgia Becomes Surrogacy Hub for Australian Families** Five years ago, Liz Tripodi arrived in Georgia to meet her newborn twins. At that time, she was unaware of any other Australians who had traveled there for surrogacy. Today, at least 400 Australian families have made the journey, transforming the small Eastern European nation into a significant center for commercial surrogacy. "For my husband and I, it was a 13-year journey with infertility," Tripodi said. "We literally tried every treatment possible and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. The girls are the light of our lives — we wish we'd gone to Georgia and done it (surrogacy) sooner." Georgia is one of the few countries where paying someone to carry a child is legal, and the surrogacy industry is thriving. The country, with a population similar to that of Brisbane, is struggling to meet the growing demand for surrogacy services. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many surrogates and intended parents have relocated to Georgia. "At the moment we have around 250 surrogate mothers pregnant, and nearly half of our clients are Australian," said Keti Gotsiridze, owner of a Georgian surrogacy clinic. "The demand is very high and there just aren't enough Georgian women, so surrogate mothers travel from all over the world, many come from the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other countries." However, unethical practices and allegations of exploitation are jeopardizing Georgia's reputation as a surrogacy destination. While heterosexual couples must demonstrate infertility to access surrogacy, there are no restrictions on the number of children they can have if they can afford it. Kristina Ozturk, a 27-year-old woman, gained media attention after having 20 babies through surrogacy in Georgia within a year, expressing her desire for as many as 100 biological children with her husband. Last year, authorities uncovered a human egg trafficking ring involving over 100 Thai women in Tbilisi. Recently, an agency owner was arrested for embezzling funds intended for surrogates. One agency that had relocated from Ukraine closed after allegations surfaced that newborns were left in hospitals for months due to paperwork delays. The agency was also accused of switching egg donors without consent and coercing a surrogate into an abortion after the intended parents withdrew. In 2023, the Georgian government attempted to ban commercial surrogacy for foreign couples due to concerns about surrogate mistreatment and prevailing conservative religious beliefs. Sam Everingham, director of Growing Families, a nonprofit organization that supports individuals considering surrogacy, noted that Georgia's situation is not unique. "This is an ongoing pattern we've seen, where people rush to a country to engage for surrogacy, demand outstrips supply, and the government cracks down — we've seen it in India, Argentina and Thailand," Everingham said. "There's too much evidence of exploitation of surrogates by agencies who are just out there to make a buck, and we see a lot of intended parents who are really desperate to have a family and they will turn a blind eye to what's going on behind the scenes." A United Nations report released in July condemned international surrogacy as a system of exploitation, calling for a global ban on all forms, labeling it a "modern form of slavery." "The country just hasn't been able to cope in terms of local surrogates, so agencies have been doing what the UN would call trafficking these surrogates into Georgia to carry babies for foreigners," Everingham said. "It means the surrogates are coming from all kinds of places to carry, being moved away from their own families and are very vulnerable." For Raziel, a 33-year-old single mother from the Philippines, surrogacy presented a rare opportunity to improve her family's future. Speaking from her hospital bed in Tbilisi two days after giving birth to a baby named Daniel, she shared her experience. After discovering surrogacy through a Facebook post, she decided to participate and carried him for nine months. She will receive $20,000, but the agency retains more than half of the total fee charged to foreign parents. Under Georgian law, surrogates can be compensated for giving birth up to four times. "I did this for my kids and their future; I want to build a house for them and for their schooling," Raziel said. "There are no jobs at home. The salary is low; it's not enough for three children." Although she was not allowed to hold Daniel after birth to prevent forming a bond, she felt the experience was worthwhile. "When I gave birth, I was feeling mixed emotions — because I carried [him] for so long, I want to hold him, but it's best for the parents," she said. In Georgia, where nearly 20% of the population lives in poverty, surrogacy can provide a financial lifeline. Salome Svanidze, a 24-year-old single mother, stated that she would use her earnings to support her own son. "For now, I can't work — I have a child of four years and we are at home," Svanidze said. "Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to earn this amount of money in Georgia. Surrogacy is not an easy decision to make; it's a big responsibility to carry someone else's child, and a lot of people look at it in a negative way, but why? I decided to help a childless couple, and this also supports me financially." Despite its economic benefits, surrogacy remains a taboo subject in Georgia, a country where nearly 90% of the population is Orthodox Christian. "According to Christian views, surrogacy is unacceptable — it's a violation of human rights and exploitation of women," said Orthodox priest Archimandrite Adam Vakhtang Akhaladze. Dr. Gotsiridze emphasized that her clinic prioritizes the rights and well-being of surrogates. "Their rights are front and center; we consider their decisions, their wishes, their desires, so they are not exploited, and they have made their own decision to do this," she said. Tripodi, who had her twins at Dr. Gotsiridze's clinic and later started a podcast about surrogacy in Georgia, expressed gratitude for the care provided to surrogates. "We will never forget what she put herself through to bring our girls safely into the world," Tripodi said. In the United States, the cost of engaging a surrogate can reach up to $200,000, while in Georgia, it is about one-third of that price. Another reason for Georgia's appeal is that intended parents are listed directly on the birth certificate, with the surrogate's name omitted. In Australia, only altruistic surrogacy is legal, meaning women cannot be compensated for carrying a baby. As infertility rates rise and more women delay childbirth, experts are advocating for changes to Australian laws to allow couples to access commercial surrogacy domestically. "I'm concerned the industry could collapse in Georgia in the next few years; I don't think countries like Georgia have the capacity to do this on an ethical scale," Everingham said. As Raziel plans her second surrogacy before returning to the Philippines, she expressed her determination to secure her family's future. "One pregnancy is not enough; I need one more to make enough money to stay in the Philippines for good and look after my family," she said.