The Kosovo Police has confirmed that staffing quotas for the Serbian community within the North Mitrovica Regional Police Directorate have been fully met, leaving only the position of regional director yet to be filled.
In a statement provided to KosovaPress, the Kosovo Police said there is no legal basis for reinstating former Serbian police officers who resigned collectively from the force in November 2022 as part of a coordinated political boycott organized by the Serbian List.
According to the police, following the mass resignations, five recruitment competitions were launched to replenish personnel, three of which were reserved exclusively for members of minority communities in northern Kosovo. Authorities say these recruitment efforts have successfully filled the required positions, enabling the police to carry out all statutory duties in the region.
The institution also emphasized that the Administrative Instruction governing employment in the Kosovo Police clearly stipulates that officers who voluntarily resign lose the legal right to return or be re-employed by the force. As a result, any requests submitted by former officers seeking reinstatement cannot be approved.
The resignations in late 2022 extended beyond the police and included Serbian prosecutors, judges, and other public officials who withdrew from Kosovo institutions in opposition to government policies, particularly regarding vehicle registration rules.
Four years later, similar attempts by former Serbian judicial officials to return to their positions have also been rejected. The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPK) declined requests from former Serbian prosecutors to withdraw their resignations, a decision later formalized by Acting President Albulena Haxhiu through official decrees.
The Kosovo Police maintains that the northern regional police structure is now operating with the required staffing levels and that the legal framework governing voluntary resignations leaves no room for the reinstatement of former officers.
