Georgia to review system after travellers with e-visa sent back

India and Georgian authorities held a slew of diplomatic exchanges, after 200 Indian travellers with e-visa were sent back from the country in the past six months.

The Georgian authorities, who admitted to having problems in their system, said they would review it. It also suggested that Indians should opt for normal visa till the problem of e-visa is resolved. Though no centralised data is available, various estimates put the number of those sent back from Georgia in the past six months at 200.

Georgia issued 29,000 visas to Indian nationals between January and June this year, out of which around 590 people were denied entry into the country, the Georgian authorities informed its Indian counterpart.

“We are told that out of 590 people who were denied entry, many of them held e-visas. The Georgian authorities said there are issues with their e-visa system. They also said they are reviewing it. Till then, they have suggested Indian nationals to opt for normal visa,” said an official who is familiar with the conversation between the two countries on the issue. The Georgian authorities also said that in certain cases, people were sent back because of improper documentation.

Indian embassy in Armenia, which oversees Georgia, took up the matter with the foreign office of the country and the external affairs ministry also spoke with the embassy of the East European country. “I will contact the Ministry of foreign affairs of Georgia as we (the embassy) don’t handle e-visas,” Georgian ambassador to India Archil Dzuliashvili told this newspaper.

Many travellers who were sent back complained to the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and ministry officials besides airing their grievances on the social media. Khushbu Kaushal, an advertising professional from Mumbai, who was sent back from Tbilisi took to Facebook to share her “harrowing” experience in the country.