In 2018-2022, 13,644 people were granted Georgian citizenship, and 72% of them were Russian citizens, Information Freedom Development Institute (IDFI) reported on September 1.
In the same period of time, the organization said, based on the decree of the President of Georgia, Georgian citizenship was granted to 13,575 persons, of which 5,111 persons were restored to Georgian citizenship, and 8,382 persons were granted Georgian citizenship in an exceptional manner.
In 2018-2022, 72% (6,075 persons) of 8,464 persons who received Georgian citizenship (except for cases of restoration of citizenship) were Russian citizens. Following Russia, the majority (428 persons) were citizens of Ukraine, 404 persons were citizens of Armenia, and 330 were citizens of the United States of America.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, 551 citizens of Russia and 8 citizens of Ukraine received Georgian citizenship in an exceptional manner.
“The State Services Agency does not provide such public information that is important for a full assessment of the extent of the increase in the desire of Russian citizens to obtain Georgian citizenship after the Russian invasion of Ukraine” – reads the document.
IDFI says the analysis of statistical data on the granting of Georgian citizenship shows that in the last 5 years Georgian citizenship has been mostly granted to Russian citizens. The organization says the desire of Russian women to obtain Georgian citizenship is expected to increase even more, taking into account the situation created after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 (expected long-term sanctions, persecution of people with different views, etc.).
