CASA Warning: Only 11.4% of Affected Citizens Managed to Resolve Status Under Kosovo’s New Law on Foreigners

The Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA) has issued an urgent public appeal warning that an alarmingly small number of affected citizens have managed to navigate the complex administrative hurdles required to regulate their civil status before the expiration of the official transitional window.

In its Final Monitoring Report, which tracked the implementation of the law from March 15 to June 15, 2026, the non-governmental organization concluded that the three-month adaptation period agreed upon between the European Union and the Kosovo government was fundamentally insufficient. CASA is now formally calling on central institutions to show immediate flexibility and extend the transitional legal framework to prevent widespread civil exclusion among non-majority communities.

1. The Scope of Exclusion: Invisible Rejections and Low Resolution Rates

The report highlights a severe lack of official institutional transparency, noting that central statistics fail to capture the true magnitude of citizens who remain outside the system.

The Civil Registration Gap (CASA Monitoring Data)
 
 [ THE INVISIBLE APPLICANTS ] ──► ORAL REJECTIONS
 • Official databases do not record citizens who were turned away orally by municipal 
   clerks, being told they failed to meet requirements before even filing a application.
 
 [ FULL STATUS RESOLUTION ] ──► ONLY 11.4% SUCCESS RATE
 • Out of the entire surveyed demographic targeted by the transition, only 11.4 percent 
   of respondents successfully finalized their administrative status over the 90-day window.
 
 [ PRIVILEGED ID ISSUANCE ] ──► LESS THAN 5% OBTAINED IDs
 • Within the successful group, fewer than 5 percent were granted full Kosovo identity 
   cards. The rest only received temporary, short-term residency permits.

2. Systemic Administrative Hurdles in Practice

According to data compiled by CASA, approximately half of the affected applicants expressed deep dissatisfaction with institutional communication, citing severe procedural anxiety and inconsistent guidelines.

Key Administrative Barriers Documented
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                                        │
│  [ FRAGMENTED MUNICIPAL INTERPRETATIONS ] ─────────────────────────┐   │
│  • Criteria and necessary documentation lists fluctuate wildly from   │   │
│    one municipality to another, and even between desks in the same office.│
│                                                                        │   │
│  [ EXCESSIVE DOCUMENTARY / FINANCIAL BURDENS ] ────────────────────┤   │
│  • Officials systematically demand complex apostille certifications   │   │
│    and translation logs that actively exceed basic legal requirements. │
│                                                                        │   │
│  [ THE ADMINISTRATIVE SILENCE ] ───────────────────────────────────┘   │
│  • Hundreds of applicants report waiting months without receiving any  │
│    official status updates or formal processing confirmations.         │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

3. Structural Recommendations for Policy Realignment

To prevent a massive humanitarian and institutional gridlock that could disrupt vital public operations—particularly for medical professionals, educators, and students from central Serbia working in non-majority areas—CASA will submit a comprehensive policy brief to domestic ministries and international watchdogs.

Proposed Reform Metric	Operational Strategy	Targeted Outcome
Immediate Deadline Extension	Grant an administrative extension to allow processing centers to work through the massive backlog of existing applications.	Preventing Institutional Collapse. Stops the immediate illegalization of resident workers providing critical local services.
Standardization of Practices	Enforce unified, written operational instructions across all municipal registration centers to eliminate arbitrary individual interpretations.	Procedural Predictability. Ensures equal treatment and transparency for every applicant regardless of geographic location.
Enhanced Community Dialogue	Launch localized, language-accessible information campaigns directly in coordination with civil society and non-majority community councils.	Restoring Systemic Trust. Builds institutional bridges with vulnerable groups who are currently fearful of navigating the new legal guidelines.