On May 13, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister, announced legislative changes targeting foreign nationals participating in anti-government protests during a parliamentary address.

Darakhvelidze stated that numerous foreigners had recently engaged in “destructive activities on Rustaveli Avenue.” He noted that while fines and administrative detentions had already been applied to foreign citizens committing administrative offenses, Georgia lacked a mechanism for expulsion. Darakhvelidze claimed these individuals arrived with “destructive goals” and announced that they would now face expulsion and a re-entry ban for a specified period, a measure he argued would safeguard public order and security.

Darakhvelidze further noted that “the list of countries from which these protest participants originate is extensive.” He acknowledged that police fines and detentions had reduced the number of foreign protesters but admitted that existing visa regulations “made it challenging” for the ministry to expel them from Georgia.