Q4 2021: Georgia grants asylum to 38 foreign citizens

Georgia granted asylum to 38 foreign citizens during the period of October-December 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed.

The interior ministry said the number of asylum seekers had increased in the last three months of the year, with figures showing a total of 232 asylum seekers registered in the country, 59 more compared to the July-September period.

In the same period of the last three months of 2021, 114 citizens of different countries were denied refugee or humanitarian status.

The list of origin countries for individuals granted a humanitarian status in Georgia in the indicated timespan was led by Syria with 10 citizens, followed by Afghanistan with nine persons, Iraq with five individuals and Ukraine with four.

Among asylum seekers - with a total of 232 applying persons - 45 were Iranian citizens, with 35 having Turkish citizenship, and seven bearing Afghan passports.

Granting of the asylum status is based on the UN 1951 Convention relating to the Status of refugees. 

In Georgia the refugee status is granted to an alien or stateless person who is outside the country of their origin due to well-founded fears of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of the country of origin.

The humanitarian status is granted to an alien or stateless person who does not qualify as a refugee, with reasons to believe that upon return to the country of origin they will face a risk of suffering serious harm.