Asylum seekers can stay in Georgia for 1 year minimum, says Minister
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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.
Almost a thousand foreign citizens are seeking asylum in Georgia, including people from Syria and Iraq who are fleeing conflict on their home soil, says Georgia’s Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili.
Georgia is offering housing to about 500 refugees from eastern Ukraine who were forced from their homes by ongoing conflict.
People wishing to seek asylum in Georgia are being given more assistance, thanks to the installation of special help desks as Georgia’s main airport.
The Government of Georgia will invest 2 million GEL in a project to provide purpose-built housing units for asylum seekers.
Six repatriated families who returned to Georgia from neighbouring Azerbaijan are now the proud owners of homes that were gifted to them by the Government.
Georgia granted asylum to 82 foreign citizens during the period of January 1 to December 20 2018, announces Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Georgia granted asylum to 38 foreign citizens during the period of October-December 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed.