Georgian ruling party vows tougher measures on illegal migration

The leader of Georgia's ruling party has pledged to crack down on illegal migration, calling it a growing concern for society and promising decisive state action.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, chairman of the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, made the comments during a broadcast on the Imedi TV channel. He said that the government, “backed by the Georgian public, will take steps to reduce the number of undocumented migrants in the country to a minimum”.

"Illegal migration is a great concern for our society, and we promise that the Georgian state, with the support of the Georgian society, will certainly have leverage and we will reduce illegal migration to a minimum," Mdinaradze said.

The ruling party leader drew comparisons with Europe, warning that a sharp rise in illegal migration there had led to “very bad results” and stressing that Georgia must not follow the same path.

Mdinaradze also criticised what he described as manipulative social media narratives aimed at portraying Georgia as facing a migration crisis. “A dozen people gather somewhere, and then suddenly there’s a video online and a public outcry. But there is a difference between online manipulation and the actual situation,” he said.