Press-secretary of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) Denis Soldatikov said on October 5 "we are not prioritising here, but every hundredth Georgian commits crimes, meaning he's a criminal."

Soldatikov commented on the decision to cancel residence quotas for Georgians.

The FMS has set up a special "Georgian" department to track citizens of Georgia in the country. Deputy FMS Director Mikhail Tyurkin stated "they [Georgians] write [in immigration applications] that they are coming to Russia to study or for commercial activities, but in fact are involved in criminal activities."

The latest decisions come as a part of an anti-Georgian campaign in Russia that includes police harrassment, arrests and the closing down of businesses thought to be owned by ethnic Georgians or Georgian citizens.