Georgia detains 59 foreign nationals in nationwide immigration raids

Georgia’s Migration Department has detained 59 foreign nationals during a series of special immigration control operations carried out across the country, the Interior Ministry said.

Those detained include citizens of Kenya, Türkiye, Russia, India, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Sudan, Cameroon, China and Azerbaijan.

According to the ministry, Migration Department officers inspected a number of specific locations and various types of premises as part of the operation, aimed at identifying foreign nationals staying in Georgia without legal grounds.

Authorities determined that those detained were in violation of requirements set out under Georgia’s Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons.

The individuals are currently being held at the Migration Department’s Temporary Accommodation Centre, while procedures are underway for their deportation from Georgia.

The Interior Ministry said that since recent legislative amendments came into force, the Migration Department has conducted 160 special immigration control operations, during which around 18,000 foreign nationals were checked.

A total of 1,000 undocumented migrants identified during those operations have already been deported from Georgia, the ministry added.