Influx of Russian citizens “significantly reduced” - Georgian interior ministry
The Georgian interior ministry said on Friday that traffic across the Dariali checkpoint “has returned to the usual mode”. Photo: Mikheil Gvasalia
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The Georgian interior ministry on Friday said the flow of Russian nationals across Georgian borders had “significantly decreased” over the past two days, following the recently announced partial mobilisation by the Kremlin to recruit at least 300,000 for its war in Ukraine, which pushed many in the country to flee to evade military service.
In its comments, the ministry said figures for the entry of Russian citizens had decreased at all Georgian border checkpoints, including at the Dariali checkpoint in northern Georgia.
The state body said 6,109 Russian citizens had crossed into Georgia between 10 a.m. on Thursday and 10:00 a.m. on Friday, while 5,186 left the country in the reported period. It also added that 9,642 Russian nationals had entered the Georgian territory between 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, while 5,448 departed.
Traffic across the Dariali checkpoint “has returned to the usual mode”, the ministry said, adding no traffic jams had been reported on roads unlike last week, and pledging the body would release statistical information on border crossings “proactively” due to the “high interest” in the public.
The state body on Tuesday also released statistics on border crossings to Georgia made by Russian citizens over the previous 10 days, saying 78,742 citizens of Russia had entered Georgia and 62,120 left the country between September 17 and 26.
The ministry said the figures confirmed there was “no dramatic increase” in the flow of Russian citizens - as was claimed by a part of the country’s domestic opposition - and noted more than 60 percent of Russian visitors were leaving the country shortly after the arrival.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said there was “no need at this stage” to convene a meeting of the national security council, in response to president Salome Zourabichvili who on Tuesday said the government could use the format amid a “mass influx” of Russian nationals following the announcement of partial military mobilisation in the country last week.
The Georgian interior ministry on Tuesday released statistics on border crossings to Georgia made by Russian citizens over the last 10 days and detailed rules for entering the country and grounds for refusal, in response to recent claims by the domestic opposition on a “mass influx” of Russian nationals following the announcement of partial military mobilisation in the country last week for Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Georgian interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri on Tuesday rejected the local media claim that said 250,000 individuals from Russia had entered the Georgian territory over the last five days since the announcement of the partial military mobilisation in Russia as a “lie”.
Lasha Khutsishvili, the minister of finance of Georgia, on Monday said the number of individuals entering and leaving the country had both increased recently, stressing the “situation is under full control” at border checkpoints.
US ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Friday said the task for the country’s authorities to address security concerns was “first and foremost”, while they should also support Russian nationals “fleeing repression and war” by crossing the state borders into neighbouring countries.
Andrew Weber, the former United States assistant secretary of defence, on Thursday welcomed the Georgian government’s move to “open the doors” to Russian nationals leaving the country to avoid having to participate in the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.
Georgian finance minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Monday responded to a statement by the president of the country Salome Zourabichvili on the possibility of reviewing Georgia's "fairly liberal" visa rules with Russia, saying there was “no need” for a review “at this stage”.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said the Georgian-Russian border crossing situation was being controlled by the relevant structural units and in case of “any danger” the “appropriate steps” would be taken.