Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on individuals at the “Dariali” checkpoint: artificial delays raise suspicions that the Ukrainian side wants them to remain in the so-called neutral zone for a long time, forcing the Georgian side to let them cross the border

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, spoke at a ministry briefing about individuals located at the “Dariali” border checkpoint. He noted that these individuals are not being allowed entry into the country because they all have serious criminal records.

According to the Deputy Minister, with the necessary political will and participation of the relevant parties, it is possible to safely return the individuals in the neutral zone to their homeland. Artificially delaying the process, he said, raises suspicions that the Ukrainian side wants these people to remain in the so-called neutral zone for a long time so that the Georgian side will eventually be forced to let them enter Georgia.

The ministry reiterated its full readiness to assist the Ukrainian side in the process of returning the individuals in the so-called neutral zone to their homeland, including a willingness to cover the costs necessary for their return.

“We would like to provide the public with detailed information about the individuals at the ‘Dariali’ border checkpoint who claim to be Ukrainian citizens and are attempting to cross the state border of Georgia using invalid documents.

At present, there are 87 people in the so-called neutral zone of the ‘Dariali’ checkpoint. In the interests of national security, they are not being allowed to enter the country, as they all have serious criminal records and have been repeatedly convicted of serious or particularly serious crimes. In addition, they do not have valid documents required for crossing the border and do not meet the criteria for entry into Georgia.

To resolve the situation and return these individuals to their homeland, the Georgian side has held a number of working meetings with both the Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia and representatives of international organizations. The police attaché system was also engaged, enabling contact between the Georgian police attaché in Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

The Georgian side proposed several mechanisms for the safe removal and return of the individuals in the so-called neutral zone to Ukraine — including by air and by sea.

Despite this, the Ukrainian side has so far refrained from using the maritime transport mechanism and has not provided final official confirmation regarding their organized return by charter flight. At the same time, there have been precedents for transporting similar individuals: in June–July 2025, with the participation of the Ukrainian side, out of approximately 134 people who arrived from Russia, 37 left Georgia for Moldova, and about 10 went to other destinations.

These circumstances show that with political will and the participation of interested parties, it is possible to safely return the individuals in the neutral zone to their homeland. Artificially delaying the process raises suspicions that the Ukrainian side wants these people to remain in the so-called neutral zone for a long time so that the Georgian side will eventually be forced to let them through. We categorically state that we will not jeopardize the security of our population and public order in our country!

It is also worth noting that a few days ago, about 15 people in the so-called ‘Dariali’ neutral zone went on hunger strike — all of them intended to convey their protest to representatives of the Ukrainian embassy, seeking to return to their homeland by any means with the support of the Ukrainian side and partner international organizations.

We call on the relevant Ukrainian authorities to take immediate measures to ensure the return of their citizens to Ukraine.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia once again expresses its full readiness to take all necessary measures within its competence and assist the Ukrainian side in returning the individuals in the so-called neutral zone to their homeland, including readiness to cover the costs of their return. The MIA of Georgia, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all relevant state bodies, is taking the necessary steps to ensure, on the one hand, the safety of the population of Georgia, and on the other — the prompt return of the individuals in the so-called neutral zone to their own country,” said Aleksandre Darakhvelidze.