2014 and September 30 of 2017, foreign citizens were refused entry at the Georgian state border a total of 27,400 times (see Figure #1).  The 2014-2016 data makes it clear that the incidence of such refusals was decreasing annually. Specifically, in 2014 a total of 8,819 instances of refusals to enter were recorded, in 2015 the number decreased to 8,405, while in 2016 saw a decline by 32% compared to the previous year and went down to 5,711 cases. In the first nine months of 2017, foreigners were refused entry into the country only 4,465 times.

Key Findings:

- The number of refusals to let foreign citizens enter the country has been declining over the past 4 years;

 
- In the last four years, most refusals of entry were given to the citizens of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran and India. The citizens of these countries made up 58% of all those who were refused entry into the country;

- In the last two years, citizens of India were refused entry most often;

- In 2015, the largest share of refusals of entry fell on Turkish (33%) and Azerbaijani (13%) citizens;

 
- The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not keep a record of the bases for refusal of entry into Georgia to foreign citizens.

The analysis was prepared in frames of the project "Empower Society for Strengthening Good Governance", financially supported by International Visegrad Fund and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The responsibility of the content of the article lies with the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI). It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of International Visegrad Fund and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

Official Statistics on Refusals to Entry for Foreign Citizens at the Georgian Border

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