Georgia expels foreigners who participated in protests against freezing of EU accession

The Georgian authorities have begun expulsion procedures for foreign nationals who participated in large-scale protests in Tbilisi. This was stated by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country, UNN writes, citing Novosti Georgia. 

Details

In total, 91 foreigners were reportedly ordered to leave the country in November-December 2024. Of these, more than a quarter were participants in protests against the Georgian authorities' decision to freeze EU accession negotiations.

The decision to expel them was made after they were found guilty of administrative offenses.

“Among the persons in respect of whom the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated expulsion procedures are foreign citizens who participated in the actions held in Tbilisi in November and December and to whom the court imposed various administrative penalties - a total of 25 people,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.

Of the 25 citizens mentioned, 10 have already left the country.

In December, foreigners who showed up at the rallies began to be summoned to the Migration Department.

The agency does not specify which countries they are citizens of. Earlier, the media reported that at least 15 foreigners detained at the rally were Russian citizens. 

Context

The Georgian government has refused to negotiate EU accession and budget grants until the end of 2028. The decision was announced after a European Parliament resolution condemning the parliamentary elections in Georgia.

Protests in Tbilisi and other Georgian cities against the freezing of negotiations on the country's European integration until 2028 have been going on daily since November 28.