Israel lists Georgia as safe country
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, March 2
Israel has put Georgia on the list of safe countries, which means those who may seek asylum in Israel from Georgia will be rejected.
After putting Georgia on the list of safe countries, Israel stressed that no one in Georgia is under threat of persecution on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political views, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry stated.
In September last year, Belgium also granted the same status to Georgia.
The Safe Country of Origin status is one of Belgium’s key tools in the process of granting asylum to foreign nationals.
Belgium’s 2016 list of countries also considered safe are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and India.
Several criteria determine a Safe Country of Origin status:
The legal situation in the country of origin;
The application of the law;
The general political circumstances; and
The extent to which protection is provided against persecution and abuse.
France, Bulgaria and Austria, also believe Georgia is a safe country.
