70% of foreigners in Georgia are citizens of post-Soviet and EU countries, the USA and Israel, the share of Turks and Iranians is 0.7%, we have no migrants from the Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Kuwait - PM

The issue of migration is of particular concern to Georgian society. Against the backdrop of ongoing processes in Europe, the public's concern and interest in this issue are not only unfounded, but, on the contrary, only welcome. It is the desire of every patriotic Georgian for Georgia to firmly protect and preserve its national and religious identity, - said the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze.

According to the head of government, 7.4% of foreigners living in Georgia are Turks, and 3.7% are Iranians.

According to the Prime Minister, contrary to widespread speculation, the total share of these two countries in the region in the population of Georgia is 0.7%.

“Migration is one of the issues that particularly worries Georgian society. Against the backdrop of the ongoing processes in Europe, the public’s concern and interest in this issue are not only unfounded, but, on the contrary, only welcome. Naturally, every patriotic Georgian wants Georgia to firmly protect and preserve its national and religious identity. Therefore, I consider it necessary to share information about migration and migration policy with the public.

According to the initial data of the General Population Census, the population of Georgia is 3,914,000, of which foreigners make up a maximum of 257 thousand, or 6.6 percent of the population. For clarification, this includes all foreigners, including migrants residing in Georgia illegally.

The National Statistics Service of Georgia will publish the revised data in a few months. However, until then, we can determine the approximate number of foreigners residing in Georgia based on border crossing data. According to these data, approximately 70 percent (or 180 thousand people) are citizens of post-Soviet and European Union countries, the United States and Israel, of which at least 40 thousand are former citizens of Georgia or have Georgian surnames. 7.4 percent of foreigners living in Georgia are Turks, and 3.7 percent are Iranians, that is, contrary to widespread speculation, the total share of these two countries in the population of Georgia is 0.7 percent. We have practically no migrants from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which, unlike politicians engaged in speculations, should not be surprising to a person familiar with the matter,” the Prime Minister said.

The information was disseminated by the government administration.