BREAKING: Russian Migrant Crisis in the Caucasus

Since the Russian war in Ukraine, more than 1.5 million Russians have crossed the Georgian border – primarily men. Many of these migrants have not sought residency, making the exact numbers of those who have stayed in Georgia challenging to measure. However, their presence is visible in every significant Georgian city, and their impact on society can be easily observed.

To begin with, the average income levels of Russian migrants are at least twice that of the average Georgian. As a result, housing prices in Tbilisi have increased 75%, resulting in many Georgians being priced out of their cities. Compounding this and other issues, many Russian migrants openly admit to fleeing conscription. However, they are not opposed to the Russian war in Ukraine. Because of this, regional security in Georgia and the greater Caucasus region is at risk.

By way of example, more than 15,000 registered Russian-owned companies now operate in Georgia. However, many use questionable registrations, where hundreds and sometimes thousands of other companies supposedly exist at the same address. These supposed business locations are often in remote villages or inaccessible residences in abandoned villages with empty houses. As a result, regulatory and investigative bodies, such as the Justice House and Financial Police, cannot effectively track these questionable businesses.

The issue of companies intentionally not registering meaningful addresses is further complicated by the hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens living without registering their addresses or seeking legal residency on the territory of Georgia. Compared to legally registered citizens and foreigners, who can easily be tracked in Georgia, Russian migrants are nearly invisible to the authorities. Georgian authorities have not meaningfully addressed this issue. As a result, it continues to pose a growing security risk to Georgia and the greater Caucasus region.

Source: Geostat