The systematic composition of asylum-related legislation in Georgia

Abstract

Generally, Georgian legislation differentiates between the procedures for granting asylum and that for granting refugee status. Asylum is granted by the President of Georgia in exceptional cases, whereas refugee status is a matter for the Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees and applies to cases where a person has been persecuted unjustifiably in a foreign country. In conclusion, the Georgian asylum-related legislation covers most relevant aspects but, for example, the notion of subsidiary protection has still not been regulated. Some confusion has also been caused by the differentiation between granting asylum and refugee status. In this regard, it should be stressed that the relevant provisions on granting asylum have never been applied.