Asylum seekers can stay in Georgia for 1 year minimum, says Minister

Asylum seekers from war-torn countries wanting to seek shelter in Georgia will be granted special permission to stay in the country for one year, says a Georgian official.

Georgia’s Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia Sozar Subari today said his Ministry was working on changes that would specify migration procedures for people who had fled war-torn regions of the world. 

The Minister stressed those who left their homelands due to conflict and applied to move to Georgia will be granted the status ‘under temporal protection’ for a one year term.

Newly opened Martkopi Asylum Seekers' Facility will accommodate 72 people. Photo by the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia.

After 12 months if the situation in the refugee’s home country improved, the migrant must return home. If not, they may remain in Georgia for longer.

Subari stated some people tried to seek asylum for their own profit, without any threat of persecution in their homeland and lived abroad at the expense of the country he or she was sheltered. 

We plan to introduce a change envisaging fast-studying of asylum seekers’ applications so we can timely reveal fake applicants and prevent them from living at our expense,” Subari said. 

Martkopi facility interior. Photo by the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia.

Meanwhile, three days ago a new building for asylum seekers opened in Martkopi Village, in Georgia’s eastern Kvemo Kartli region. The facility can accommodate 72 people. 

The United States (US) State Department allocated $951,725 USD for the facility’s construction, while the United Nations (UN) purchased furniture and other living equipment worth $62,000 USD.

This was the second building of this type to open in Martkopi Village. In 2010 a similar facility catering up to 60 people opened in the village.