Georgia tightens rules of stay of foreigners in the country

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has prepared a package of legislative amendments tightening the rules of stay of foreigners in the country and the mechanism of their expulsion. The main part of the changes are being made to the law "On International Protection", as well as to a number of outgoing laws.

According to the draft amendments submitted to the Parliament, the legislation introduces:

• A new type of punishment — expulsion of foreigners and a ban on entry into the country for a certain period of time will be enshrined in the criminal and administrative codes.,
• increase in fines for violation of the migration regime,
• accelerated expulsion process for illegally staying in Georgia,
• expedited consideration of applications for refugee status if the application is not submitted immediately after entry,
• the opportunity to consider the application right at the border — without admission to the territory of the country, if there are grounds to consider entry a threat to state security,
• electronic format of decisions and limited terms of appeal,
• refusal of a residence permit to those who are under the expulsion procedure.

The Interior Ministry reported that the bill was developed in accordance with the directives of the European Parliament and Council of Europe.

Currently, decisions on deportation are made by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the court. Foreigners are given up to 30 days for voluntary departure. In case of refusal, coercive measures are applied, including readmission to the country of citizenship or the country of departure.

In 2024, 430 foreigners left Georgia by decision of the authorities. Among them were participants of protest actions detained administratively.