Dozens of Indians were detained at the Georgia-Armenia border this week — subjected to “most inhuman behaviour” by local authorities. The incident was flagged by a tourist on social media and the officials were accused of treating visitors “like cattle”. The now-viral post has also sparked heated discussion about civic responsibilities and calls for a boycott of the country. Many in the comment section also recalled facing similar situations while travelling through Georgia.
A post shared on Instagram by Dhruvee Patel said that the group had been travelling with valid documents when they were stopped the authorities. She alleged that border officials had refused to check their documents — merely insisting that the visas were “wrong”.
“Most inhuman behaviour from Georgia. We were 56 Indians with valid e-visas and documents who entered via Armenia (Salakhlo border). We were made to wait for five hours in the freezing cold – no food, no toilet. They confiscated our passports for over two hours with no communication and forced us to sit on the footpath like cattle. They took videos of us like criminals but stopped us from filming,” she recounted.
India-Georgia ties
The Sadakhlo border is the primary road crossing between Armenia and Georgia and remains open to international travellers without any restrictions. It is one of the busiest crossings in the region and serves as the key crossing between Tbilisi and Yerevan.
Patel also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the post and urged Indian authorities to “take a strong stand”.
India and Georgia enjoy stable ties marked by growing cooperation in various spheres including trade, education, tourism, and investment.
Netizens recount similar experiences
Several social media users also recalled facing discrimination and other issues while interacting with Georgian officials.
“When this behaviour has been consistent from Georgia…why do Indians keep going there?” asked one comment.
“I’ve actually had so many civilised friends visit Georgia and had the same treatment…Trust me, it has nothing to do with civic sense or anything, cause these girls were dressed very smartly, spoke softly and were extremely polite. The officials are just rude,” fumed another.
“Many of my friends from the UAE have faced similar situations and challenges. Some — even with toddlers — were treated like criminals…I could say it’s better to boycott Georgia completely…Better to visit only Armenia. They’re extremely polite and respectful people (sic),” insisted a third.