“This regime has never served the Georgian people; it has served Russia and its national interests,” said Grigol Gegelia, one of the leaders of Strong Georgia - Lelo.

He was speaking about the large influx of citizens from the Russian Federation into Georgia.

“We know from numerous sources, including Russian open sources, that tens of thousands of Russians have flocked to the Lars checkpoint and are looking for a new place of refuge in Georgia, including possibly because of mobilization, which has been reported by one of the world’s leading publications, Politico.

Of course, this creates a number of risks for our state. Back in 2021, Lelo - Strong Georgia clearly called on the regime, as part of the Georgia Protection Act, to take specific steps in this direction. This included controlling migration flows and reviewing the visa regime. Georgia has an absolutely inadequate visa regime.

It also called for introducing and establishing mechanisms compatible with Georgia’s national security, our demographic interests, and the interests of genuine peace within the country and throughout the region.

However, this regime, which is a vassal of Russia, has always served the Russian Federation and is openly quoted and praised by [Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson] Maria Zakharova and other propaganda outlets. This regime did nothing to take adequate measures because it has never served the Georgian people; it has served Russia and its national interests,” Gegelia said.