Georgia detains 38 foreign nationals in Tbilisi, Batumi during illegal migration crackdown

Employees of the Migration Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs have detained 38 foreign nationals in the capital city of Tbilisi and the Black Sea resort city of Batumi as part of efforts to combat illegal migration.

The body added special immigration control operations were carried out in the two cities, targeting locations where individuals suspected of residing in the country without legal grounds might be present. As a result of the coordinated measures, 38 foreign citizens were detained, including nationals of China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey, Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, Nigeria and Jordan.

The Ministry said inspections confirmed that the detained individuals had violated the requirements set out in Georgia’s Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons by remaining in the country without a lawful basis.

Those detained have been placed in the Migration Department’s Temporary Accommodation Centre, where relevant procedures are under way to facilitate their expulsion from Georgia.

The Migration Department stated that special immigration control operations are being conducted on an intensified basis to ensure the timely identification and removal of foreign nationals staying in Georgia illegally.