The draft law, which provides for the establishment of a visa regime for the citizens of the Russian Federation as a state implementing military occupation, has been initiated in Parliament.
The initiators of the draft law are opposition MPs - Ana Natsvlishvili, Shalva Shavgulidze, Salome Samadashvili and Davit Usupashvili.
According to the draft law, unlike the general rule, it will be possible to obtain a tourist visa (category C1 and C2) only at the border crossing point open for international visitors on the state border of Georgia, as a result of inspection carried out by the authorized body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
Persons who hold the citizenship of the Russian Federation, but had the citizenship of Georgia and left it or lost it, will be exempted from legal restrictions.
According to the bill, before entering Georgia, a citizen of the Russian Federation must confirm in writing that he/she recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia and that the territories indicated in the Law on Occupied Territories are occupied by the Russian Federation.
Entry to Georgia shall be denied to a person whose belongings or vehicle has non-peaceful symbols. Non-peaceful symbolism implies symbols related to the communist and fascist totalitarian ideology, as well as the military aggression carried out by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. The latter refers to the graphic representation of the Latin letters Z and V, which have become symbols of Russian aggression.
"The influx of citizens of the Russian Federation into the country creates threats, risks and challenges that require a timely and adequate response. In 2022, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, the number of applications of citizens of the Russian Federation to obtain the right of residence in Georgia has increased by 54%. On September 21, 2022, the "partial mobilization" announced by the President of the Russian Federation was an additional impetus for many citizens of the Russian Federation to enter Georgia.
In just a few days after the announcement of the mobilization, in the period of September 21-26, 53,136 citizens of the Russian Federation entered Georgia and 34,990 left. The difference between the people leaving and entering the country has increased sharply", reads the explanatory note of the bill.
