Georgia: Since the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict, hundreds of Russian people have arrived in Georgia with the purpose of settling in Tbilisi.
“I chose to settle here until something changes,” explained one person. “I was here the previous month, before all that unpleasant mess. I do not want to be in the nation which rages a battle; that is why I arrived here.”
Another person told a source that he plans to stay here for a while until the war ends. “well, I do not know how long I will live here, but this year I will definitely stay here, a few months, a year, maybe even more.”
According to many people, booking hotels in Georgia is not a major problem, but apartments are more challenging to come by.
Since mid-March, over 30,000 Russians have arrived in the nation, with more than 12,500 still there.
Lasha Dzebisashvili, a Professor at the University of Georgia, says the numbers create some worries.
He further went on to say, “during the entire month, Georgia has witnessed a ten-fold increase of Russians arriving in the country.”
“It causes some doubt, whether these are genuine refugees or people who have been politically pushed away from Russia as they try to save their enterprises etc.
“Or whether these are so-called subversive elements with a specific goal in Georgia.”
The security agencies of Georgia fear that some Russian paramilitary groups may arrive.
