The Right to Seek International Protection and Its Procedure
An alien or a stateless person has the right to seek international protection both when entering Georgia at the state border and while staying on the territory of Georgia. Where entry or presence is unlawful, the person must immediately apply to the state agency with a request for international protection, and, with the law's qualification, is released from criminal liability. The state agency must ensure the translation, into a language understandable to the person, of the information necessary to make the asylum procedure accessible; the asylum procedure itself is regulated by a normative act of the Minister. Upon receipt of the request the state agency draws up a protocol, the original of which is sent to the Ministry within 3 working days, while a copy is handed to the applicant. Where necessary, placement in a reception centre for asylum seekers or resettlement elsewhere is carried out under the procedure established by the Minister's normative act.
Routes of Application for Detained Persons
The law lays down a special procedure for persons detained for unlawful crossing of the state border, for expulsion or on an extradition request: such a person may seek international protection personally or through an authorized representative — with the Ministry, the authorized organ of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor's Office or a penitentiary establishment. These organs must supply the person with information about the possibility of seeking international protection and about the asylum procedure. A person in extradition or expulsion proceedings has 15 calendar days from the provision of written information to apply, and where independent circumstances prevent this, the period may be extended. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor's Office or the penitentiary establishment immediately informs the Ministry about the request and forwards the application within no more than 3 working days.