Chances of Receiving Asylum in EU Decreases for Georgians
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, July 30
Georgians have almost no chance to receive asylum in most of the EU countries, Marc Hulst, representative of the International Organization for Migration has stated on Friday, adding the number of Georgian asylum seekers in the EU member states has decreased over the past seven months.
Hulst says that in January- June 2018, 490 Georgian citizens asked for asylum in Sweden, 2,485-in Germany, 471-in Belgium and 81- in the Netherlands.
“The figures are mostly lower compared to the same period of last year. Georgian citizens have nearly a zero chance of receiving asylum in EU member states,” Hulst told journalists yesterday.
“Of those Georgians who were seeking asylum in Germany, only one percent managed to do this,” he said.
Hulst says that there are two different types of status for asylum seekers:
“One is a refugee status and no one from Georgia has received this status in Germany this year and the second is the status for a temporary stay. The second status is mostly for those who have certain health-related problems,” Hulst says.
Hulst says that those seeking asylum have to live in hard conditions, with no pocket money and education opportunities for their children.
Hulst says almost all Georgians will be dismissed asylum requests, as Germany has officially launched procedures to put Georgia on the Safe Country list.
Being on the safe country list means that human rights are protected and no one is politically persecuted in the countries included.
Austria, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Island, Israel and Luxemburg already consider Georgia as a safe country.
