Public Service Development Agency:  Georgian President granted Georgian citizenship to 728 Russian citizens originally from Georgia  in 2022

728 Russian citizens, out of 3,265, who are originally from Georgia and meet the requirements of the law, have been granted Georgian citizenship in 2022 by the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili, the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice reported on Friday. 

The Agency clarified the application process for Georgian citizenship and said the President may grant citizenship by way of exception to a person who is originally from Georgia and meets the requirements of the Georgian law, under which an applicant for citizenship should either live in Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) or be “forcibly displaced” from these territories.

The Public Broadcaster said the Agency also explained that persons who  emigrated from Georgia due to their  political opinions or socio-economic situation, hold citizenship of another country, and want to restore Georgian citizenship could also be granted the citizenship by way of exception.

The other requirements established by the law include the knowledge of the Georgian language and history, as well as the basic principles of Georgian law.