Georgian Parliament to approve law on irregular migration

As part of efforts to combat irregular migration, the Georgian Parliament on Wednesday is set to approve amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons.

The draft law defines procedures for inspecting a residence, workplace, or other private property or ownership for the purpose of identifying cases of illegal migration.

A new article is added, allowing the Ministry of Internal Affairs to inspect the residence or workplace of a foreign national, or enter other forms of private property, if there is a court order issued by a district or city judge.

This would apply in cases where a foreign national is suspected of residing in the country without legal grounds, or when verifying their place of residence or locating their travel documents.

In addition, during such inspections, police officers will be authorised to question individuals, verify their identity, and conduct a pat-down search and visual inspection.

The ruling party noted that the proposed changes were prompted by the recent increase in the number of migrants in the country.