Georgian authorities have rejected all 80 asylum applications from Belarusian citizens reviewed since 2019
In the first quarter of 2026, eight citizens of Belarus were expelled from Georgia (a record), including 2 women.
Parliament building in Tbilisi. Photo: John Elk III / Getty Images
Georgian authorities have rejected all 80 asylum applications from Belarusian citizens reviewed since 2019, according to an analysis of local police data conducted by "Pozirk".
In the first quarter of 2026, two men were denied (aged 26 to 40 and 41 to 65).
In 2025, Georgia denied asylum to 22 citizens of Belarus, including five minors. 2024 was a record year — 50 rejections, including 12 minors.
One citizen of Belarus (aged 41 to 65) applied for asylum in the country in the first quarter of 2026.
Since 2019, 91 such applications from Belarusians have been registered. The most were in 2024 — 40; in 2025 — 9.
In the first quarter, eight citizens of Belarus were expelled from Georgia (a record), including 2 women. Belarusian human rights activists intend to find out whether this refers to forced deportation or voluntary departure after a prescription, and to which countries their compatriots are being expelled.
In 2025, Georgian authorities tightened migration legislation — after foreigners, primarily Russian citizens, participated in protests against the falsification of the 2024 parliamentary elections and the curtailment of the course towards rapprochement with the European Union. During one of the crackdowns, Belarusian citizen Yauhen Muravitski was detained (later flew to Lithuania).
The Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia conducts continuous raids to identify illegal immigrants, including going door-to-door. According to "Pozirk", Belarusians were also visited. Local media and diaspora activists reported on the expulsion of foreigners on trumped-up charges.
In February 2026, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that 3,738 Belarusian citizens hold residence permits in the country. He also revealed plans to expel 4,000 illegal immigrants during the year, which is three times more than were deported last year (1,311).
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