October 29, 2023 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

Ukrainian citizens in Abkhazia

Ukrainian citizens living in Abkhazia can only legally exit the region through Russia, but this exit route was closed following the introduction of special entry procedures for Ukrainian citizens in Russia in early October 2023.

As a result, they are effectively unable to travel.

To address this issue, Abkhazian authorities permit their passage through the Ingur river checkpoint, located in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. But this option is available only “if there are humanitarian reasons.”

There are several hundred Ukrainian citizens residing permanently in Abkhazia, primarily originating from Donbas or Crimea, who relocated there in 2014 or shortly thereafter due to the ongoing military events.

They still hold Ukrainian passports, which has effectively trapped them within Abkhazia.

For Ukrainian citizens desiring to leave Abkhazia, the procedure involves reaching out to the consular department of the ministry of foreign affairs or a division of the border detachment of the state security service of Abkhazia. Subsequently, these agencies will engage in direct negotiations with their counterparts in Russia to resolve the matter on an individual basis, without any guarantees.

This means that Moscow may either grant permission or decline, and the coordination process can span from a few days to several weeks.

The Ingur River checkpoint is governed by regulations that allow the passage of only Abkhazian citizens. Every Abkhazian citizen must obtain permission from the Abkhazian state security service to use this checkpoint.

Citizens of other states are not granted access through this checkpoint.

Nevertheless, Ukrainian citizens, under specific “humanitarian reasons,” will now have the opportunity to utilize this exit. This process involves the submission of an application, which will be reviewed within a five-day period. If the application is sanctioned, Ukrainian citizens can proceed through this checkpoint, facilitating their journey to Ukraine, possibly via Tbilisi.

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