who can obtain REFUGEE STATUS?
Refugee status is granted to a person who is not a citizen of Georgia or a stateless person permanently residing in Georgia, is present in Georgia, and has a well-founded fear of being persecuted due to race, religion, belief, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Such a person is unable or unwilling, due to this fear, to return to their country of origin or to avail themselves of the protection of that country.
A person with refugee status shall be granted the right to family reunification within one year of submitting the application.
A person is not granted refugee status if:
a) A person who has committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity, as defined in the relevant international instruments;
b) A person who has committed a serious non-political crime outside the borders of Georgia before being granted refugee status by Georgia;
c) A person who is guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations;
d) A person who does not require legal protection under Article 1(D) of the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees;
e) A person for whom there are reasonable grounds to believe that they pose a threat to Georgia’s state security, territorial integrity, public order, or public safety;
f) A person who has been convicted by a legally binding court verdict for committing an especially grave crime;
g) A person who has been exposed as having engaged in actions against Georgia or who committed a criminal offense while previously residing in Georgia;
h) A person who has left their country of origin due to an economic crisis, epidemic, natural disaster, or a technogenic emergency.
Also person cant obtain refugee status if:
a) A person who has been recognized as a refugee by another country and continues to benefit from that country’s effective legal protection unless proven otherwise;
b) A person who holds a travel document issued by another country under Article 28 of the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees;
c) A person who has initiated the refugee status determination procedure and can continue it in another state that is a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees.
3. A person with dual or multiple citizenships will not be granted refugee status if they can avail themselves of the protection of any of those countries.