In Abkhazia, migrants will be banned from working as taxi driver

Migrant taxi drivers in Abkhazia

In Abkhazia, taxi drivers are demanding a ban on migrants working in the taxi business. According to local drivers, newcomers are depriving them of their income. The authorities have sided with them — by next year, migrants will be banned from working in this sector.

Several dozen taxi drivers staged a picket in Sukhum.

Taking turns, they protested for three days.

Their main demand was to resolve the issue of migrants who, they say, are creating competition for them.

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Officially, more than 200 foreigners work as taxi drivers in Abkhazia, most of them citizens of Central Asian republics. The protesters insist that many of these migrant drivers do not have driver’s licenses, are unfamiliar with the area, and have only limited knowledge of the Russian language.

Nevertheless, company owners find it profitable to hire foreigners, as they are unpretentious and disciplined, keep their cars in good condition, and regularly meet their passenger transport quotas.

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The protest sparked heated debates on social media, with supporters and opponents of the protest roughly equal in number.

Social media users voiced numerous complaints about local taxi drivers: loud music, smoke-filled car interiors, speeding, and traffic violations.

However, many agreed with the claim that Abkhazians are losing income because of migrants and that something must be done about it.

Parliament member Kan Kvarchia came to meet the protesters and, right there on the spot, called the republic’s president Badra Gunba, who announced that the government intends to ban migrants from working in passenger transportation, reserving this right exclusively for Abkhazian citizens.

The relevant amendments to the legislation are to be introduced by January 2026.

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