The Parliament deliberated in an expedited manner and approved the Bill on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons with 81 votes.

As the First Deputy Chair of the Committee, Tornike Cheishvili elucidated, the Bill regulates the procedures of inspection of a residence or workplace, or other private property/owner for the identification of illegal migration: “A new Article is being introduced, pursuant to which, the Interior Ministry, in view to identify foreign citizens residing in Georgia without a legal ground, and/or inspection of the residence of foreign citizen or check the travel documents, shall be entitled to inspect the residence or workplace of foreign citizens, or enter other private property on the basis of the District (City) Court Judge order”.

Furthermore, if an urgent necessity exists, when the delay may allow foreign citizens to abscond, or destroy or conceal his/her travel documents, the MIA authorized body shall be empowered to initiate the inspection of the residence or workplace of foreign citizens, or other private property and during a term of 24 hours, file the mediation to the judge.

As he noted, upon the inspection of the residence or workplace of foreign citizens, or other private property, the police shall be authorised to conduct questioning, identification, surface inspection, and search, as well as undertake other preventive or coercive measures as envisaged by law.