The Influx of Russian Citizens into Georgia Increases, Exit Decreases: Ministry of Internal Affairs

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has published statistics regarding the number of individuals entering Georgia from Russia at the Georgian-Russian border. According to Aliq Media, the Ministry indicates that due to significant public interest, it aims to provide information about the criteria, numbers, grounds, and regulations for the entry of citizens from the Russian Federation into Georgia.

Since September 21 of this year, the number of arrivals from Russia at the border with Georgia has increased. The Ministry has presented data for the last 10 days concerning entries into and exits from Georgia: from September 17 to 26, a total of 78,742 Russian citizens entered Georgia, while 62,120 Russian citizens left Georgia during the same period.

“To effectively manage the increased flow from the Russian Federation, additional police units are being deployed at the Darial checkpoint. This aims to implement border immigration control procedures as well as to ensure public order in the area adjacent to the checkpoint and prevent potential legal violations. In addition, a relevant unit of the state protection service is permanently stationed at the border checkpoint to ensure security and identify risks,” the statement reads.

The Ministry emphasizes that border control procedures are carried out under special observation and in full compliance with the existing legislation of Georgia. “Recently, the number of citizens who are not allowed to enter the territory of Georgia for legally specified reasons has increased. Consequently, there are more inquiries regarding admission rules and grounds for denial.”