contents
Tens of thousands of Russians have fled to the neighboring country. The Georgians are less and less happy about that. They have their reasons for that.
Why is? Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled the country since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began. Tens of thousands of them have fled to the small neighboring country of Georgia. You can enter the country without a visa and stay there for up to a year. But in Georgia, dissatisfaction is now increasing – because the Georgians tend to see a threat in Russia.
The Georgians suspect that many Russians are merely fleeing the draft orders, but support the policies of the Putin regime.
Which Russians are fleeing? After the war began at the end of February, it was primarily Russian regime opponents who left Russia, many of whom went to Georgia. After Putin’s mobilization order on September 21, tens of thousands more Russians came to Georgia, mostly men between the ages of 18 and 60. “Many Georgians suspect that many of them are just fleeing the enlistment order, but support the policies of the Putin regime,” says SRF foreign editor Calum MacKenzie. As a result, the Georgian population’s distrust of the arriving Russians is increasing.
Georgians have not forgotten the Russian offensive of 2008.
Where does the distrust come from? After Georgia’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in April 1991, secessionist movements and wars broke out in the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Both regions received Moscow’s support and have been de facto occupied by Russia since 1994 (Abkhazia) and 2008 (South Ossetia). However, under international law they still belong to Georgia. In the South Ossetia conflict of 2008, Russian troops marched just short of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, and numerous Georgians died in the course of the Russian offensive. “The Georgians haven’t forgotten that,” says MacKenzie.
How is the displeasure shown? In some bars in the capital Tbilisi, Russians have to fill out a questionnaire about the Russian war in Ukraine and the Russian occupation of the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Only those who condemn Moscow’s behavior as illegal are served. The solidarity of the Georgian population with the Ukrainians is also huge – there are hardly any other capitals in Europe that have as many Ukrainian flags as in Tbilisi.
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At some border crossings with Russia there have also been demonstrations by Georgians against the free entry of Russians.
Reuters/Irakli Gedenidze
What are the consequences of immigration? The arriving Russians are mostly financially stronger than the Georgians. As a result, rents have already risen sharply. Some Georgians have even been evicted from their rented apartments to rent to Russians at a higher price. “Of course, this increases tensions between Georgians and Russians,” MacKenzie said.
What does the Georgian government say? The government admits that the situation is not easy. However, the borders with Russia should remain open and relations with Moscow should not deteriorate. The government is correspondingly reluctant to condemn Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, which in turn causes displeasure among the population. However, the Russian problem in Georgia could soon ease up a bit: Apparently the Russians are only staying in Georgia for a short time, and many are returning to Russia.