The Democracy Research Institute (DRI) reports that the de-facto authorities of South Ossetia have launched a so-called ‘Family Reunification Programme’, which allows ethnic Georgians in the heavily-Georgian district of Akhalgori to relocate to areas controlled by Tbilisi where their family members live. The DRI reports that there are currently 280 individuals that have expressed their desire to be enrolled in the ‘Family Reunification Programme’. This number is alarming for Akhalgori, which has been left by a large part of the population since 2008. The de-facto South Ossetian government’s programme is a ‘legal’ way of removing ethnic Georgians from Akhalgori”, says the DRI. Individuals wishing to leave Akhalgori must first pay all utility bills and fines and submit documents to the local security service.

Source: The Local November 27, 2020 14:15 UTC