Asylos and Rainbow Migration, ‘A Commentary on the UK Home Office’s Country Policy and Information Note: Georgia: SOGIE’, 2024

Asylos and Rainbow Migration, ‘A Commentary on the UK Home Office’s Country Policy and Information Note: Georgia: SOGIE ‘, Asylos, 2024

Background

On 17th April 2024, Georgia – along with India – was added to the UK’s list of countries from where protection and human rights claims will be declared automatically inadmissible, in all but exceptional circumstances. Like the UK, a number of EU countries including Czechia, Germany and Italy have recently added Georgia to their lists of countries that are considered ‘safe’. However, the troubling realities facing LGBTQI+ Georgians makes the decision to add Georgia to ‘safe’ states lists highly controversial, both in the UK and beyond. On 17th September 2024, the Georgian parliament adopted a new repressive legislative package that envisages sweeping curbs to the rights of LGBTQI+ people, a development which the British Embassy in Georgia has already criticised as undermining fundamental human rights.

This commentary sets out a critique of the Country Policy and Information Note Assessment, in light of the Country of Origin Information presented. The commentary also presents recently published Country of Origin Information that raises further concerns about the situation of the LGBTQI+ community in Georgia in 2024. Accompanying the publication of this commentary, a Country of Origin Information report provides a snapshot of the current situation for LGBTQI+ people in Georgia.

We hope that this commentary will provide a useful guide for legal practitioners and decision makers, in identifying inconsistencies and omissions in the Country Policy and Information Note, and that the research report can provide additional relevant Country of Origin Information on the issues identified.