In Kosovo, 50 Serbs Have Obtained Permanent Residence Permits So Far

From the beginning of the year through June 30, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued a total of 4,533 temporary residence permits and 126 permanent residence permits.

Statistics show that the Serbian community leads in terms of the number of temporary residence permits, with 1,266 issued. Meanwhile, 50 Serbs have obtained the right to permanent residence.

During this period, the daily average of residence permits issued to Serbs was 9.

Selam Shkodra, a former deputy minister of internal affairs, considers this a positive development, linking it to the beginning of the integration of the Serbian community into society.

According to Shkodra, issuing these permits is appropriate if the applicants have a clean record, demonstrate that they have traditionally been citizens or residents of the Republic of Kosovo, and undergo the necessary checks by the security institutions. He considers that this process can be viewed as a form of integration and recognition of Kosovo’s citizenship.

He emphasizes that Kosovo’s local security institutions have sufficient mechanisms to select foreign nationals who may be granted residence permits.

Shkodra says that Kosovo has highly consolidated security institutions and that such permits are not issued without checks. However, if there is a mistaken case, he believes the opposition should also help identify individuals who do not deserve a residence permit, which is distinct from Kosovo citizenship, let alone citizenship itself. He adds that all applicants go through the rigorous screening procedures of the security institutions.

Meanwhile, lawyer Hasan Shala calls for the legal basis on which these permits are issued to be carefully reviewed, as the consequences could be significant.

Shala believes it should be analyzed whether these citizens have political motives. According to him, if their registration is approved without meeting the conditions and criteria established by law, then this would constitute a major mistake by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Public data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs also show that a considerable number of permits have been issued to Turkish citizens.