The Parliament, at the extraordinary plenary session, deliberated in an expedited manner, the Bill on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons, introduced by the First Deputy Chair of the Legal Issues Committee, Tornike Cheishvili for the III reading.

Bill regulates the procedures of inspection of a residence or workplace, or other private property/owner for the identification of illegal migration.

A new Article is being introduced, pursuant to which, the Interior Ministry, in view to identify foreign citizens residing in Georgia without a legal ground, and/or inspection of the residence of foreign citizen or check the travel documents, shall be entitled to inspect the residence or workplace of foreign citizens, or enter other private property on the basis of the District (City) Court Judge order.

If an urgent necessity exists, when the delay may allow foreign citizens to abscond, or destroy or conceal his/her travel documents, the MIA authorized body shall be empowered to initiate the inspection of the residence or workplace of foreign citizens, or other private property and during a term of 24 hours, file the mediation to the judge.

Upon the inspection of the residence or workplace of foreign citizens, or other private property, the police shall be authorised to conduct questioning, identification, surface inspection, and search, as well as undertake other preventive or coercive measures as envisaged by law. In the case of an inspection of a workplace of a foreign citizen, the police officer shall have the power to inquire from the employer for the documents that confirm the legal basis for the employment of the foreign citizen in Georgia.

A respective amendment is being introduced to the Administrative Offenses Procedure Code, namely, a new Chapter shall regulate the issue of the order on the inspection of the residence or workplace of foreign citizens, or other private property on the basis of the mediation of the MIA authorized body by the District (City) Court.

“Illegal migration presents a pressing challenge for our nation and the global community. It is commendable that the Interior Ministry remains steadfast in its efforts to combat illegal migration. As per the six-month data for 2025, 525 foreign nationals have been deported for their unlawful presence in the country, surpassing the index for the corresponding period of 2024 by 280%. Consequently, it is crucial that the MIA Migration Department is provided with robust legal safeguards to effectively discharge its functions and authority”, -  he asserted.