Georgian border guards will be able to turn back citizens traveling to EU starting January 1

The Georgian parliament has passed a bill which will allow the border police to decide whether or not to allow citizens to board flights for the EU if they do not have the proper documentation.

The law will enter into force on January 1, 2021.

From this date, the police will check the documents of those who want to go to the EU, according to several criteria.

These criteria are as follows:

 – If a person is prohibited from entering any EU / Schengen country and this fact is known to the Georgian border control.

 – Less than three months are left until the expiration of the biometric passport.

 – Lack of a return ticket, ticket reservation, document confirming the right to reside in a Schengen country or the consent of the host.

 – Lack of medical insurance

 – If a person cannot prove they have enough money for the trip

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Due to the increased number of asylum seekers from Georgia and crimes committed by Georgian citizens in Europe, criticism from some EU countries has intensified, the bill’s authors said:

“Germany, as well as Sweden, both in European structures and in the media, openly stated that the propensity of Georgians to use the visa-free regime in bad faith deserves attention and that it is possible to start discussing the mechanism of its suspension,” 

Among the initiators of the bill are Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze, several current and former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Since March 2017, citizens of Georgia have enjoyed the right to visa-free travel to the Schengen countries for up to 90 days within 180 days.