Georgia detains 59 foreign nationals in immigration control operations

Employees of the Migration Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted special immigration control operations across the country, the ministry said.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 59 foreign nationals staying in Georgia illegally were detained as a result of the operations. They include citizens of Kenya, Turkey, Russia, India, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Sudan, Cameroon, China and Azerbaijan.

“As part of the special immigration control operations, department officers inspected specific locations and facilities of various types to identify foreign nationals staying in Georgia without a legal basis.

“It was established that the detained individuals were staying in the country in violation of the requirements established by the Georgian Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons.

“The detainees are currently being held at the Migration Department’s temporary accommodation center. Relevant procedures are underway for their removal from the country,” the ministry said.

The ministry also noted that since the relevant legislative amendments came into force, the Migration Department has conducted 160 special immigration control operations. A total of 18,000 foreign nationals have been checked, while 1,000 illegal migrants identified during the operations have already been removed from Georgia, according to the ministry.