Georgia’s Interior Ministry submits new amendments to migration law to parliament
Georgia’s Interior Ministry has submitted a package of legislative amendments related to migration to parliament for consideration. The amendments mainly address foreigners who commit crimes or overstay, as well as the procedure to receive asylum.
The Interior Ministry published an overview of the amendments in a brief statement on Thursday. The official documentation has yet to appear on the parliamentary website.
According to the ministry, the amendments were prepared to ‘improve the fight against illegal migration and refine regulations related to the granting of asylum’. They additionally noted that the amendments were prepared in accordance with the directives of the European Parliament and Council.
The first change listed in Thursday’s official statement is that a new type of punishment would be added to the Georgian Criminal Code, which would require the expulsion of a foreigner from Georgia and a ban on entry into Georgia for a specific period of time. Similarly, a new administrative penalty would be added to the Code of Administrative Offences, featuring the same punishment.
No details were provided as to what crimes these penalties would apply to, nor how long the ban of entry would last.
In addition, the amendments would increase the fines for foreigners who violated the rules of staying on Georgian territory, while the procedure for expelling foreigners illegally staying in the country would be ‘significantly simplified’.
In regards to the asylum procedure, the legislative package would introduce an accelerated system, with the time limits for review and appeal ‘significantly reduced’. This would include also simplifying the procedure for submitting decisions.
The ministry also listed an amendment that would introduce a new mechanism according to which asylum could be considered at the state border, without allowing the asylum seeker to enter Georgian territory if their entry ‘poses a threat to state security’. No details were provided as to what basis the decision would be made, nor who would make it.
The last amendment listed by the ministry would restrict the issuance of a residence permit to any foreigner who has been investigated with the intention of expulsion, or who already has received an expulsion order.
Currently, citizens from over 90 countries receive visa-free entry to Georgia for a period of one year, which resets every time one leaves the country and reenters. There are also few ostensible restrictions on what one can do in Georgia within the one-year period, whether that be traveling, working, or studying.
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