Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze raised migration issues in a four-minute video address on Facebook, reviewing several data points and praising the government’s policies while vowing a further crackdown to “free” the country from illegal migrants in “several years.”
“Migration is one of the issues that particularly troubles Georgian society,” Kobakhidze said in a February 13 video. “Against the backdrop of ongoing developments in Europe, public concern and interest in this issue are not only justified but, on the contrary, welcome,” he added, asserting that every “patriotic Georgian’s” wish is to “firmly defend and preserve the country’s national and religious identity.”
He then reviewed several core migration-related data points. Citing preliminary results of the general population census, Kobakhidze said Georgia’s population stands at 3,914,000, of which foreigners, including illegal migrants, account for a maximum of 257,000, or 6.6%.
Citing border-crossing data, he said that of the 257,000 foreigners, about 70%, or 180,000, are from what he called “post-Soviet” countries, as well as the EU, the United States, and Israel. He noted that at least 40,000 of them are former Georgian citizens or have Georgian surnames.
Kobakhidze then said that Turkish nationals make up 7.4% of foreigners in Georgia, while Iranian citizens account for 3.7%. He added that, contrary to what he called “widespread speculation,” their share of the total population is just 0.7%.
“From countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, we practically have no migrants, which, unlike politicians preoccupied with speculation, should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the situation,” Kobakhidze added.
He then spoke about foreign students in the country, saying there are 37,000 in total, the majority from India. Arguing that students’ fees for studying and living in Georgia add GEL 300,000 to the country’s budget and noting that they have created more than 10,000 jobs, Kobakhidze defended the programs, saying, “Cancelling foreign student programs would cause significant losses to Georgia’s economy, budget, and employment rate.” He then also argued that foreign students leave Georgia once they graduate, “therefore, they pose no risk whatsoever to the country’s demographic profile.”
Saying the situation is not as “some politicians” portray it, Kobakhidze said nevertheless that “much still needs to be refined and improved with regard to migration.”
He said the government is “strengthening” the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which he said “expelled more illegal migrants over the past year than had been expelled over the previous ten years.”
“Strengthening the department will enable us to fully free the country from illegal migrants within a few years, whose number currently exceeds 20,000,” he added.
Kobakhidze then mentioned new legal restrictions he said will take effect on March 1, limiting foreigners’ labor activity in Georgia, changes he said “will enable us to adequately protect both the interests of the country’s economy and our citizens.” He also credited the Georgian Dream government for the 2017 constitutional amendments that prohibited transferring agricultural land to foreign nationals.
“Protecting and preserving Georgia’s national and religious identity is one of our top national priorities,” Kobakhidze said, “And the Georgian government will do everything to achieve it.”
The statement comes amid Georgian Dream’s tightened migration laws and increasingly hardline rhetoric on illegal migration. In December 2025, Kobakhidze said Georgia expelled 1,131 illegal migrants that year, while pledging to expel at least 3,500 more in 2026.
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