Georgia grants asylum to 185 Ukraiians in last three months

Georgia granted asylum to 185 of 242 Ukrainians who had requested the status over the past three months, between April and June, the Georgian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

The Ministry suggested that the country had received applications from 441 foreign nationals over the past three months, of which 242 were Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave the country due to ongoing Russia’s war. 

It said that the list of asylum-seekers also included 35 Russian citizens, with none of them granted humanitarian status. 

The Ministry said that the refugee status was granted to a total of eight foreign nationals, none of them were Russians or Ukrainians. A total of 53 citizens of foreign countries were expelled from Georgia in the reported period, including two Russians. 

In Georgia the refugee status is granted to an alien or stateless person who is outside the country of their origin due to well-founded fears of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of the country of origin.

The humanitarian status is granted to an alien or stateless person who does not qualify as a refugee, with reasons to believe that upon return to the country of origin they will face a risk of suffering serious harm.