Georgia enacts new restrictions on foreign aid and assistance

The Georgian Parliament has passed new legislation imposing sweeping restrictions on the receipt of foreign assistance, approving the measures in a third and final reading.

The amendments target the country’s existing Law on Grants. Under the revised law, it is now prohibited to accept not only foreign grants but also any form of expert, technical, or educational assistance without explicit prior approval from the Georgian government, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

The restrictions apply to a broad range of institutions and organisations, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), scientific research centres, and humanitarian groups. Only programs under the European Union’s Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ initiatives are exempted from the new provisions.

Government officials have defended the legislation by asserting that its primary aim is to protect Georgia’s sovereignty.

The latest changes build on a rule introduced just one month ago that requires government authorisation for the issuance of grants. Receiving a grant without this permission is now formally considered illegal. Violators will face financial penalties: the recipient of any unauthorised grant will be fined an amount equivalent to twice the total value of the grant in question.

Simultaneously, Georgia’s controversial new “foreign agents” law — modelled after the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) — has come into force as of late May. This law now extends not only to legal entities but also to private individuals. In addition to fines for failing to register as a foreign agent, the law includes more severe penalties such as imprisonment.

By Tamilla Hasanova