Georgia detains 59 foreign nationals in immigration enforcement operations VIDEO

Georgian authorities have detained 59 foreign nationals who were allegedly staying in the country without legal grounds as part of special immigration control operations, the Interior Ministry said.

The ministry said officers from its Migration Department carried out the latest operations and detained nationals of 13 countries, including Kenya, Türkiye, Russia, India, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Sudan, Cameroon, China and Azerbaijan.

The detainees have been transferred to the Migration Department’s Temporary Accommodation Centre, where procedures for their deportation are underway, according to the ministry.

The latest arrests are part of a broader immigration enforcement campaign launched following amendments to Georgia’s migration legislation.

The Interior Ministry said its Migration Department has conducted 160 operations since the changes took effect, checking around 18,000 foreign nationals. Approximately 1,000 people deemed to be staying in Georgia illegally have been deported so far.

By Sabina Mammadli