The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, has announced that a major package of legislative amendments, targeting illegal migration, has been submitted to Parliament.

According to the Deputy Minister, the regulations governing the issuance of student residence permits to foreign nationals have also undergone a comprehensive review.

“We have submitted significant amendments to Parliament regarding illegal migration; this marks the second stage of our reforms. As you will recall, major changes were implemented last year, which have already yielded positive results. Day in, day out, the public witnesses the deportation of illegal foreign nationals who had been exploiting various loopholes to secure prolonged stays in the country.

This second legislative package is a direct continuation of the reforms we initiated last year. This time, we have overhauled the framework governing the issuance of residence permits. Around 35,000 foreign nationals currently hold active student residence permits. However, evidence has emerged that some are using them purely to secure long-term residency.

These changes ensure that genuine students, those who are actively studying and using their permits for their intended purpose, will face absolutely no disruptions. However, strict regulations will apply to individuals who use student residency to prolong their stay, and the state will take an uncompromising stance.

The second issue concerns sham marriages. Under current legislation, marrying a Georgian citizen is sufficient ground for an individual to obtain permanent residency. Today, roughly 30,000 foreigners are holding permanent residence permits in the country, an area where monitoring mechanisms have historically been very weak,” stated Aleksandre Darakhvelidze.

As Darakhvelidze noted, a specific mechanism is being introduced to prevent sham marriages from being used as a pathway to residency. He explained that any foreign national who marries a Georgian citizen and applies for a residence permit will now be required to undergo an interview with a dedicated panel.

“Fraudulent schemes involving sham marriages as a backdoor to securing residency exist in numerous countries. A robust mechanism is being introduced under which any foreign national who married a Georgian citizen and applied for a residence permit will be required to attend a panel interview. If the panel concludes that there are reasonable grounds to doubt the authenticity of the marriage, the file will be forwarded to investigative authorities.

As you know, a new article has been added to the Criminal Code criminalising sham marriages entered into specifically for the purpose of obtaining legal residency. This mechanism will provide maximum safeguards; residency will only be granted to those who legitimately require the documentation, eliminating any opportunity for foreign nationals to remain in the country long-term outside the scope of the law,” Aleksandre Darakhvelidze concluded.