The Ministry of Internal Affairs organized a meeting today with non-governmental organizations in North Mitrovica to discuss the Law on Vehicles and the Law on Foreigners.
At the meeting, Jeta Tela, Chief of Staff to Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla, said the purpose of the gathering was to provide direct information to NGOs, including those representing non-majority communities.
Tela emphasized that these are not new laws, noting that the Law on Foreigners has been in force since 2013, while the Law on Vehicles has been in effect since 2017.
“However, institutions are carrying out this campaign so that citizens, foreign visitors, and foreigners entering Kosovo have the proper information about their legal rights and obligations,” she said.
“As part of efforts to improve services and bring them closer to citizens, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has also been working on decentralizing services. In addition to Pristina, it will now be possible to apply for residence permits in three other regions: North Mitrovica, Gjilan, and Prizren, so that all those affected by the Law on Foreigners, including municipalities in the northern part of the country, have easier and faster access to these services,” Tela added.
In its statement, the Ministry of Internal Affairs expressed disappointment that several civil society organizations from the Serbian community chose to boycott the meeting, thereby failing to use the opportunity to contribute to informing the communities they represent or foreign nationals residing in their municipalities, as well as to participate in discussions regarding these laws.
The ministry concluded by calling on citizens not to fall victim to misinformation and urged them to follow the official channels of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Kosovo Police for accurate information.
