Armenia and Georgia to Exchange Citizens Found Illegally Residing in Their Territories

Armenia and Georgia will exchange citizens subject to deportation in their territories. A bill on the ratification of the agreement between the governments of Armenia and Georgia on the reception of persons residing without permission was approved during today's meeting of the Armenian government.

The rationale for the bill states that signing the agreement is expedient from the perspective of combating illegal migration, considering that Armenia and Georgia are neighboring states. The signing of the agreement will allow for joint and coordinated actions regarding the identification and organization of the return of both citizens of the two states and citizens of third countries, as well as stateless persons with illegal status in the territories of both states.

The document will create a legal basis for the regulation of the readmission process by defining the list of documents confirming citizenship of the parties, the list of documents serving as proof of the existence of grounds for readmission of citizens of third countries and stateless persons, the procedure for transferring individuals accompanied, the procedure for conducting interviews, the form for requesting readmission of an individual, deadlines, and other matters.

To determine whether the obligations enshrined in the international treaty conform to the Constitution of Armenia, the government will present the agreement to the Constitutional Court. After the high court’s decision, the agreement will be submitted for discussion in the National Assembly of Armenia.