About a week ago, the Kosovo police published the "Guide for the entry, movement, residence and employment of foreigners in the Republic." Kosovo” due to the announced application of the Law on Aliens from October 1st.
Photo: KossevGuide for foreigners in Kosovo
Who is a stranger to Kosovo? Article three of the Law on Foreigners stipulates that it is "any person who is not a citizen of the Republic of Kosovo".
The Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the Northern Region, Veton Eljšani, previously explained to Alternativna and Zubin Potok INFO that the residence registration is valid for "all foreign citizens who plan to stay in Kosovo for more than three days".
"When it comes to students who come to study in North Mitrovica, they will also have to register their residence," Eljšani said earlier.
On this occasion, the students of the University of Pristina with a temporary seat in Kosovska Mitrovica, who in recent months organized 16 minutes of silence for the victims of the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad, announced: "The requirements requested by the Kosovo authorities (temporary residence permit for study or work) are almost impossible while the University is in its current status, because the University cannot issue the documentation that Pristina requires, since the institutions of the Republic of Serbia do not recognize Kosovo institutions."
Uncertain fate of students and employees
When asked who is granted temporary residence in Kosovo, the guide says, among other things, that it is granted to foreigners whose goal is to stay in Kosovo for the purpose of pre-university education or higher education, scientific research, and more.
For that approval, "proof of enrollment in an accredited institution of higher education in the Republic of Kosovo" is necessary.
This will be a problem for students and employees in the educational (but also in the health) system. Because, as the students stated, the institutions that function according to the Serbian system in Kosovo cannot issue such documents.
And the University of Prishtina with its temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica now has about 8500 students and about 1200 employees, the Rector's College of this university stated earlier.
Jovan Zafirović, a student of the Faculty of Philosophy in Kosovska Mitrovica and an aphorist, told "Vreme" that no one from the faculty has yet officially told the students what paper is necessary. They found out, he says, from the media and leaflets distributed by the Pristina authorities (Guide for entry, movement, residence and employment of foreigners in the Republic of Kosovo).
Zafirović indicates that according to unofficial information, the professors are considering that when the decision comes into force, the faculties will "sort out the papers for the students", and that this "procedure will go through the faculties".
"It is inevitable to resolve the status of the university first, and then the paperwork and obtaining work permits in general," explains Zafirović.
He believes that the Pristina authorities will not give up on such a decision. "As with, for example, tables, documents and other things, this may drag on for some time to find a solution for future functionality."
However, emphasizes Zafirović, taught by the experiences of Belgrade's silence, concessions and consent to withdraw and Pristina's not giving up, the assumption is that it will certainly be within the framework of the integration that is being talked about.
"However, integration would imply that the university functions according to the Kosovo system, and there we would have a big problem not only when it comes to the enrollment of new students coming from central Serbia, but also the work of professors coming from central Serbia, it would also affect the local population and other students if they decide to enroll in the University of Pristina because of the fear that their diplomas would not be recognized the next day in central Serbia and beyond", concludes our interlocutor.
Concerned about the non-recognition of diplomas
On Saturday (September 27), the Academic Plenum warned against the closure of the University of Pristina in Mitrovica, as well as the State University in Novi Pazar.
They stated that "although the methods of shutting down these two universities differ, they have one thing in common - this government is in charge of their destruction."
"From 2012 until today, with its actions and signed agreements, this government has shut down one Serbian institution in Kosovo and Metohija one by one, and among the last ones to survive is the university, where a significant number of professors who live in the central part of Serbia work and travel to work and often stay in Kosovska Mitrovica," it is emphasized.
They added that the application for residence in Kosovo from October 1st brings additional unrest among the professors, who are still under great pressure from both the Kosovo and Serbian authorities.
"Also, in order for diplomas issued by state universities in Serbia to be valid in Kosovo, they must go through the process of nostrification by the Kosovo authorities, which is unclear and complicated and which Serbs in Kosovo fear will lead to the non-recognition of all diplomas from universities founded by the Republic of Serbia. The consequence of all this will be the quiet closure of the University of Pristina with its temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica, and this government is an accomplice in that process all the time," they point out.
Professor of the Faculty of Law of the University of Pristina, Dr. Dejan Mirović for Alternative said that he believes that the residency registration requirements for both students and professors will have an impact on education, but also on health.
He reminded of the deadline of three days for registration and pointed out that in such conditions it is impossible not to register residence and at the same time, for example, hold classes.
"It is impossible to hold classes in three days, none of us can do it. Even if it were possible, a reason for residence for more than three days is required, but if you work in an institution or institution that is accredited in Pristina. The point here is not only to make it difficult to come, but also to accredit the university in Pristina," explained Mirović.
When asked what would happen in the case of the integration of education and healthcare, Mirović says that Belgrade would have a problem, because students would not follow such a decision.
"Even if what Vučić did illegally, unconstitutionally and treacherously was accepted, I guarantee that the students would not follow that. Why? Because they could have gone to Pristina or somewhere else before that to get an education according to the Albanian system," said Mirović.
He concluded: "First we will run out of students, then we will run out of accreditation, programs and jobs."
