A group of 56 Indian travellers has accused Georgian border authorities of humiliating treatment at the Sadakhlo border crossing between Georgia and Armenia on September 17, sparking outrage on social media and renewed calls for intervention from Indian authorities.
One of the travellers, Dhruvee Patel, shared a detailed account on Instagram, alleging that the group — all carrying valid e-visas — was detained for over five hours in freezing conditions without access to food or washrooms. Patel claimed that their passports were confiscated for two hours and they were denied communication facilities.
“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’,” Patel wrote, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in her post.
Patel’s claims were backed by another member of the group, who described the behaviour of the Georgian authorities as “very humiliating and very rude.” The individual alleged that despite presenting all required documents, they were left standing “in the middle of the road like cattle” while officers withheld their passports.
The allegations have triggered strong reactions online. Several users called for a boycott of Georgia, with some sharing similar experiences of mistreatment at Georgian border checkpoints in recent years. “I visited Georgia in 2019 from Russia. They looked at me like a criminal,” one commenter wrote, accusing the authorities of systemic bias against Indian travellers.
Others, however, shared positive experiences of Georgian hospitality, acknowledging that the issue may not be uniform but warning Indian visitors to be prepared for difficulties at immigration.
"Many of my friends from UAE ?? have faced similar situations & challenges some even with toddlers were treated like criminals .. I could say better to boycott Georgia completely..Lots of scams & racism in Georgia not worth it. Better to visit only Armenia they’re extremely polite & respectful people , Armenia is one best country for families you feel safe with them," said another.
The controversy has also revived reports of a rising number of deportations targeting Indian and Pakistani nationals. An immigration lawyer based in Tbilisi told The Wire that even travellers with valid visas have faced arbitrary rejections, detentions and deportations without explanation.
The MEA has not yet issued an official statement on the incident.
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One of the travellers, Dhruvee Patel, shared a detailed account on Instagram, alleging that the group — all carrying valid e-visas — was detained for over five hours in freezing conditions without access to food or washrooms. Patel claimed that their passports were confiscated for two hours and they were denied communication facilities.
“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’,” Patel wrote, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in her post.
Patel’s claims were backed by another member of the group, who described the behaviour of the Georgian authorities as “very humiliating and very rude.” The individual alleged that despite presenting all required documents, they were left standing “in the middle of the road like cattle” while officers withheld their passports.
The allegations have triggered strong reactions online. Several users called for a boycott of Georgia, with some sharing similar experiences of mistreatment at Georgian border checkpoints in recent years. “I visited Georgia in 2019 from Russia. They looked at me like a criminal,” one commenter wrote, accusing the authorities of systemic bias against Indian travellers.
Others, however, shared positive experiences of Georgian hospitality, acknowledging that the issue may not be uniform but warning Indian visitors to be prepared for difficulties at immigration.
"Many of my friends from UAE ?? have faced similar situations & challenges some even with toddlers were treated like criminals .. I could say better to boycott Georgia completely..Lots of scams & racism in Georgia not worth it. Better to visit only Armenia they’re extremely polite & respectful people , Armenia is one best country for families you feel safe with them," said another.
The controversy has also revived reports of a rising number of deportations targeting Indian and Pakistani nationals. An immigration lawyer based in Tbilisi told The Wire that even travellers with valid visas have faced arbitrary rejections, detentions and deportations without explanation.
The MEA has not yet issued an official statement on the incident.
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