Population figures

Total country population

3,717,425

Forcibly displaced population

Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):

27,925

Asylum-seekers:

1,128

IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):

297,905

Other people in need of international protection:

0

Other

Statelessness persons

490

Host community

0

Others of concern to UNHCR

0

Country context

Georgia is situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, part of the Caucasus region, extending from coastal plains along the Black Sea into the foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountain range. It is bounded by the Black Sea to the west, Russia to the north and northeast, Turkey to the southwest, Armenia to the south and Azerbaijan to the southeast. Refugees originate primarily from Iraq, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, They reside mainly in urban centres without formal camps or settlements in the country.

Georgia has made substantial progress in establishing a legal framework for the protection of forcibly displaced persons, including refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stateless individuals, although challenges remain. Asylum-seekers in Georgia do not receive government financial assistance but have the right to work, providing them with opportunities for self-reliance if they can secure employment. Despite this, many asylum-seekers face difficulties due to limited livelihood opportunities, particularly in regions such as Martkopi, where the government provides shelter. Refugees and asylum-seekers in Georgia are legally entitled to access basic services such as healthcare and education, but practical challenges, such as language barriers and limited awareness of available rights, continue to impede their full integration. 

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In 2023, a notable advancement was made in the specialization of lawyers and judges in migration and refugee law, with Georgia’s High Council of Justice piloting this in the Tbilisi City Court. The Legal Aid Service of Georgia has also made progress in offering specialized legal representation for asylum-seekers. 

Statelessness is addressed through the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, in force since 1 September 2014 and last amended in June 2023, laying out general provisions for the status, entitlements and duties of stateless persons within Georgia. Georgia has taken steps to reduce the residence requirement for Georgian citizenship and making progress in the identification and naturalization of stateless persons.

Internally displaced persons are recognised under the Law of Georgia on Internally Displaced Persons – Persecuted from the Occupied Territories of Georgia of 6 February 2014, codifying definitions of displacement and setting procedures for granting, reviewing and terminating displacement status for those uprooted by conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetiahe. 

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Sources: UNHCR Refugee Data finder https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ | 2024 mid-year figures. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects 2022, Online Edition https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Files/WPP2022_Data_Sources.pdf