‘No food, no toilet’: How a group of 56 Indian tourists faced ‘inhuman treatment’ at Georgia border

A woman has alleged that a group of 56 Indian tourists faced “the most inhuman behaviour” at the hands of authorities in Georgia while trying to cross into the country from Armenia.

In an Instagram post, Dhruvee Patel narrated the horror and described how the group, despite carrying valid e-visas and all required documents, was subjected to humiliation and long hours of detention at the Sadakhlo border, the main land crossing between European countries.

Her account comes at a time when Georgia has been emerging as a favourite holiday spot for Indians. In fact, tourist arrivals from India surged by nearly 40 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year.

But Patel’s experience highlights a troubling reality beneath the glossy image of Georgia’s booming tourism industry. So, what exactly happened at the border?

In her Instagram post, Patel described how she and 55 other Indians, all holding valid e-visas, were stopped at the Sadakhlo border while entering Georgia from Armenia.

Instead of being allowed through, they were left waiting for over “five hours in freezing cold weather”—with no food, no water, and no access to washrooms.

She said their passports were taken away for more than two hours, with no explanation from the authorities.

“Forced to sit on the footpath like cattle. Took videos of us like criminals, but stopped us from filming. Didn’t even check our documents, simply claimed visas were ‘wrong’,” she wrote.

Patel also pointed out that officials never properly checked their papers and yet dismissed the visas as “wrong.”

Calling the treatment “shameful and unacceptable,” she tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in her post. “India must take a strong stand,” she urged.

A person claiming to be part of the group supported the woman’s ordeal. They said the Georgian officials behaved “very humiliating and very rude.”

“We produced all the documents required and cooperated in all the best possible ways, with the supporting documents we had. But Georgia police gathered all the information about us and did not file any documents. They even took away our passports for 2 hours and made us stand in the middle of the road like cattle,” they added.

The commenter further advised Indians against visiting Georgia, writing, “they don’t deserve to be our host in any means.”

Indians recall similar incidents

Patel’s account quickly spread online, drawing reactions from others who said they, too, had faced similar hostility in Georgia.

“This is a second incident which I came across this week about the ill treatment of Indians by Georgian officials! I wonder what’s going on,” one user commented.

Another traveller recalled a similar ordeal from 2019.

“I visited Georgia in 2019 from Russia. When I reached there, they looked at me the same way like a criminal… From (the) last many years, they are creating problems for Indians.”

While they were eventually granted entry and went on to enjoy a “dream visit,” but noted that “from the last many years they are creating problems for Indians, that’s a sad story.”

An immigration lawyer based in Tbilisi, who handles student cases, told The Wire that deportations of Indians and Pakistanis have sharply increased in recent years. Even those with valid documents, the lawyer explained, have faced arbitrary rejections, detentions, and deportations without proper reasoning or due process.

Georgia is a top destination for Indians

The irony of incidents like this is that Georgia has been working hard to attract more Indian tourists. The country has positioned itself as one of the region’s most accessible and appealing destinations for Indians, thanks to easier travel rules and growing cultural ties.

In 2024, Georgia welcomed around 124,000 visitors from India. The trend has only accelerated this year, with tourist arrivals in the first half of 2025 jumping by nearly 40 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Much of this boom is fuelled by smoother travel options. Georgia has a quick e-visa system, and Indian travellers who already hold visas for Schengen countries, the US, UK, or Australia can skip the process altogether and enter visa-free.

Air connectivity has also improved, with airlines operating daily flights from Delhi and three weekly services from Mumbai, alongside multiple Gulf carriers offering convenient routes.

The connection goes beyond tourism. More than 21,000 Indian students are currently studying in Georgia, and Indian films, cricket, and food are increasingly popular among locals. Together, these links have made Georgia not just a holiday spot, but a familiar and growing hub for Indians.

However, with incidents such as this on the rise, the safety and perception of Georgia as a friendly destination for Indians may come under closer scrutiny.

With input from agencies

Go to Source