Georgia pledges to aid Ukraine in border standoff repatriation, says Deputy Interior Minister

Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the Deputy Interior Minister of Georgia, on Saturday reiterated Georgia's full readiness to take all necessary measures to assist Ukraine in the repatriation of its citizens stranded in the “neutral zone” at the Dariali border crossing.

In his remarks, Darakhvelidze noted that the Georgian Government was even prepared to cover the costs of their return and had proposed multiple mechanisms, including air and sea routes, to facilitate their safe evacuation to Ukraine.

“We want to provide the public with detailed information about the individuals at the Dariali border checkpoint who claim to be Ukrainian citizens and are attempting to cross the state border with invalid documents. First and foremost, as of now, there are 87 individuals in the so-called neutral zone of the Dariali border crossing. For reasons of state security, these individuals are not allowed to enter the country, as all of them have serious criminal records and have been convicted multiple times for serious or particularly serious crimes. Additionally, they lack valid documents required for crossing the border and do not meet the criteria for admission to the Georgian state border”, the Deputy Minister said.

He further noted that the Interior Ministry had engaged in several working meetings with the Ukrainian Embassy and international organisations, using its network of police attachés to coordinate with Ukrainian authorities.

“To address the situation, which involves returning these individuals to their homeland, the Georgian side has held several working meetings with the Ukrainian Embassy in Georgia as well as representatives of international organisations. To resolve this issue, the network of police attachés was also used, through which communication took place between Georgia’s police attaché in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Georgian side proposed several mechanisms to the Ukrainian side on how to safely evacuate and return individuals in the so-called neutral zone to their homeland, Ukraine. These included options for their return by both air and sea routes”, he continued.

Despite proposing return options via air and sea, Darakhvelidze stressed that Ukraine had not yet finalised plans for repatriation, particularly rejecting the sea route.

“Despite this, the Ukrainian side has so far refrained from using the mechanism of returning these individuals via sea routes. Moreover, we have not yet received final, official confirmation regarding their organised return to their homeland via chartered flights. However, it is worth noting that there have been precedents for such transfers - with the involvement of the Ukrainian side, in June-July 2025, out of approximately 134 individuals coming from the Russian Federation, 37 left Georgia for Moldova, and around 10 others departed in various directions”, he said.

“This situation demonstrates that, with the necessary will and the involvement of interested parties, it is possible to safely return individuals in the neutral zone to their homeland. The artificial prolongation of this process raises suspicions that the Ukrainian side intends for these individuals to remain in the so-called neutral zone for an extended period, thereby forcing the Georgian side to allow them to cross the Georgian state border. We categorically declare that we will not jeopardize the safety and public order of our country’s population!” he continued.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted a recent hunger strike by approximately 15 individuals in the neutral zone, who sought to draw attention from Ukrainian authorities to expedite their return.

“It is also noteworthy that a few days ago, around 15 individuals in the Dariali neutral zone were on a hunger strike – all of them wanted to make their voices heard by representatives of the Ukrainian Embassy through this form of protest, so that, with the support of the Ukrainian side and the assistance of partner international organisations, they could return to their homeland, Ukraine, by any means”, Darakhvelidze said.

Darakhvelidze urged the Ukrainian authorities to take immediate action to repatriate its citizens, reiterating Georgia’s readiness to support the process, including covering associated costs.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia once again expresses its full readiness to implement all relevant measures within its competence and to assist the Ukrainian side in the process of returning individuals in the so-called neutral zone to their homeland, including being prepared to cover the costs necessary for their return. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all relevant state agencies, within the scope of their competence, is taking necessary measures to ensure, on the one hand, the safety of the Georgian population and, on the other hand, the timely return of individuals in the so-called neutral zone to their homeland”, Darakhvelidze concluded.