The suspension of visa-free travel for Georgians to the European Union is not being considered, but cannot be ruled out due to the large number of illegal migrants demanding asylum, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Friday in Tbilisi
TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th May, 2019) The suspension of visa-free travel for Georgians to the European Union is not being considered, but cannot be ruled out due to the large number of illegal migrants demanding asylum, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Friday in Tbilisi.Georgian citizens may visit the European Union without visas, but representatives of some European countries expressed concern about the large number of asylum seekers arriving from Georgia.
"I did not talk about suspension [of the visa-free regime], since the cooperation with Georgia continues, but this possibility most likely exists. Today there is a big increase in asylum seekers," the minister said.
According to Castaner, the French side wonders why so many asylum seekers come from a safe country like Georgia. He added that since 2017, the number of asylum seekers in France has increased in general, but he considered it abnormal that the number of migrants from Georgia topped the list alongside the likes of Sudan and Eritrea.
"Georgia is a safe country. A country in which there is no war. Georgians can travel everywhere, including France. However, they dream of Eldorado in some countries and often they do not get the conditions they dream of. For French citizens, illegal immigration is a big headache," the French minister said.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the parties had signed a bilateral agreement on joint measures to combat Georgian criminals and unjustified asylum seekers in France.
