Chechen social media users reported numerous denials of entry into Georgia.

Georgian border guards continue to deny entry to Chechens without explanation, paying particular attention to their place of birth, according to Instagram* commenters. Some reported being denied entry five or more times.

"Caucasian Knot" wrote that Georgian border guards have been denying entry to North Caucasus natives for many years without explanation. Some have received two or even three refusals, according to residents of Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" in June 2022. In May 2023, former Caucasian Knot correspondent Zhalaudi Geriev was denied entry to Georgia again. He linked this practice to discrimination based on his origin, noting that a border guard had noted his place of birth in his passport.

A video titled "Another Case of a Chechen Denied Entry to Georgia" was published by the Instagram page chp.grozny_95, which has 622,000 followers. The recording was made by a man attempting to enter Georgia by car with at least one other young man. It consists of several fragments: first, the author films from inside the car, as he and his companion wait in line for security, then films himself inside.

“They told us to wait. We wait, wait, wait. I don’t think they’ll let us through,” says the bearded man in the recording. Then, judging by the recording, he was summoned for a conversation in one of the offices.

Finally, the author shows the document the border guards gave him—an entry denial dated November 18th. Immediately at the checkpoint, he crumples the paper and throws it in the trash. “Basically, I received an official refusal from Georgian customs. This is my fifth refusal in eight years. Just a refusal without explanation,” he says.

The public page administrator asked subscribers if they had encountered the same problem. The post, made on November 20th, had garnered 336 reactions and 118 comments as of 1:40 a.m. Moscow time today. Several commenters reported encountering refusals. “My friend and I traveled three years ago, and they also refused entry, even though we had a hotel booked,” wrote deni.ais.

“They took our passports, waited six hours, and then denied entry to Georgia. Just recently!!! Outrageous,” shared halidd.096. “I've already been refused six times,” stated dabiq1985. "I was denied entry four times in 2022, twice in 2024, and in early October. I was assigned to the same shift and they refused without explanation," said bibiev.a95.

"They let me through, but there was also a check in that same office. I asked what exactly was wrong, and they answered, 'your place of birth,' which is Grozny. They asked questions like, 'Why are you going, why are you going,' and so on. I went several times, and each time the same thing happened. My friend, who I travel with, now tells me, 'Go ahead, you're in office 202,'" wrote viktoriiakaloeva.

"One time, a friend and I were invited to that office, I don't remember the number. They asked, 'Why are you going to Georgia?'" I said, "I'm going to drink some wine, eat your delicious food, and admire the beautiful places." "Ah, are you tourists or something?" they asked. I said, "Exactly tourists!" "Well then, welcome to Georgia," and they let me through without a problem," reported yusuf_sorvari. "I pass through Georgian customs freely, Georgians are very polite," stated maryam_groznaya_.

Some users suggested that the appearance of an entrant influences border guards' decisions on admitting a person into the country. "With a beard like that, they're unlikely to let you in," suggested advokat_prezidenta. "The reason (for the refusal) is the beard!" “My brother wasn’t allowed into Georgia either recently,” wrote tural___27. “Appearance greatly influences passage through customs, in case anyone doesn’t know,” noted ali_is_kind001.

“They don’t give reasons (...) They also look at appearance; they can refuse entry because of a long beard,” pointed out mezhedow.

“Nationality doesn’t matter: they let us through, but not the elderly woman, and she wasn’t Chechen,” stated h.ast309. “Nationality does matter; we even have our own separate room there, where they take us and interrogate us like criminals,” countered him. groznenskiy_____95.

"They didn't let the Chechens through with European passports: they were almost fifty years old and didn't have beards. We bought tickets from Kutaisi to Warsaw, but they didn't let us through," asserts rustam_p.