Kobakhidze: Nearly 30 of foreigners with residency permits in Georgia - Russians

Around 32,000 Russian citizens hold residence permits in Georgia, accounting for approximately one-third of all foreigners with residency status, according to the country's prime minister.

Over 107,000 foreign nationals have obtained residence permits in Georgia, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said, adding that nearly a third of them (29.9%) are Russian citizens.

According to data presented by the PM, out of more than 32,000 Russian citizens holding residency permits in Georgia, 30% either previously held Georgian citizenship or are ethnic Georgians. Thus, Russian nationals lead in the number of Georgian residency permit holders.

India ranks second, with 23,900 of its citizens living in the country on residency permits. These are primarily students pursuing education in Georgia.

Azerbaijanis round out the top three (6.3%). According to Kobakhidze, these are mostly former residents of Georgia of Azerbaijani descent who have returned and obtained residency permits.

The top ten also includes citizens of Ukraine, Armenia, Belarus, Turkey, Iran, Sudan, and China. Migration issues and their impact on the country are currently being actively discussed in Georgia.