Russian-speaking residents of Georgia confirm relevance of measures against xenophobia

Russian-speaking residents of Georgia interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot” say that ethnic Russians, including citizens of Georgia, face manifestations of Russophobia. The residents consider it appropriate to toughen the law against xenophobia.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on March 4, the “Georgian Dream” Party warned residents of the country against manifestations of xenophobia against the backdrop of the special military operation in Ukraine. Irakli Kobakhidze, the leader of the “Georgian Dream” Party, has emphasized that discrimination against Russians is unacceptable in Georgia and the country’s parliament has already started working on tightening the anti-discrimination law.

Some Russian citizens who moved to Georgia for an indefinite period say that from time to time, they face hostile attitudes towards themselves. In particular, a Russian citizen who preferred to remain anonymous told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent that he had encountered a negative perception of the Russian language. The man notes that a person may be ignored in stores if he or she does not know Georgian.

A Russian citizen who refused to introduce herself told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent about the difficulties she encountered when trying to rent an apartment. The woman said that several owners refused to rent her housing after learning about her citizenship.

A citizen of Belarus also faced a refusal when she wanted to rent an apartment. “There are realtors who refuse to work with Russians and Belarusians, saying directly that no one is waiting for them here,” the woman from Belarus told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 14, 2022 at 10:40 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.