Almost two decades after Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia, many issues remain unresolved. Scores of countries still do not recognize Kosovo — including Serbia, five EU member states and large economies such as India, Brazil and Indonesia. Russia and China back Serbia’s non-recognition, keeping Kosovo out of the United Nations.
Inside Kosovo, the central dispute is the status of the ethnic-Serb minority. Exact figures are hard to establish because of Serb boycotts of the census, but a reasonable estimate is around 100,000. That population has been shrinking as both Serbs and the ethnic-Albanian majority emigrate to seek better lives. Many remaining Serbs now say leaving may soon cease to be a choice and become a necessity because of a law due to be enforced from March 15.
Kosovo’s government says the Law on Foreigners is a routine mechanism to ensure residents have correct documentation. Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said those who reside in Kosovo must regulate their status “as is the case in every European country.” Yet many Kosovo Serbs view the measure as targeted, designed to render them foreigners in their own homes or to force them out. A significant number do not recognize Pristina’s institutions and have never applied for Kosovo documents, preferring Serbian credentials instead.
The law requires foreigners to register with the police as visitors and enforces the “90 in 180” rule that limits foreigners to 90 days in any 180-day period. Serbs fear this will apply to those living in Kosovo without Kosovo-issued papers and worry about similar restrictions on Serbian-registered vehicles used by thousands of Kosovo Serbs. Svecla stresses the law dates from 2013 and that only full implementation — twice postponed — is now beginning. “No one is being expelled,” he said, adding that residents will be able to regularize their status.
Many Serbs report a different reality. With enforcement near, those trying to meet the criteria face obstacles. Jovana Radosavljevic, director of New Social Initiative in the mainly Serb northern part of Mitrovica, says people cannot meet Kosovo administration demands. To apply for citizenship they must submit a passport copy, yet Kosovo does not recognize Serbian passports. Some were born and lived their whole lives in Kosovo but are forced into a full application process instead of simple verification of citizenship.
The Law on Foreigners is the latest in a series of measures affecting Serbs since Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Vetevendosje party took power in 2021. Other steps include a ban on the use of Serbian currency for cash operations, closure of health centers in majority-Serb areas labeled “parallel structures,” and shutdowns of banks and post offices that delivered Serbian pensions and social benefits. Serbian authorities warn the law will “gravely affect” healthcare and education institutions serving Kosovo Serbs by restricting workers’ movements between Kosovo and central Serbia. Many work in Serbian-run schools, hospitals and municipal bodies not registered in Kosovo’s legal system; those institutions cannot issue valid employment contracts needed for residence or work permits.
Petar Petkovic, director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, calls the regulations “a severe existential blow to over 10,000 Serbs,” accusing Kurti’s government of creating intolerable living conditions and completing “the ethnic cleansing” of Serbs from Kosovo.
Analysts offer a more nuanced view. Ilir Deda, formerly of Vetevendosje and now a senior fellow at KIPRED, does not believe Kosovo Serbs face mass expulsion or being declared foreigners in their own homes. He criticizes the lack of transparency and communication from Pristina, Belgrade and Brussels, saying political representatives of Kosovo Serbs themselves often do not know the details and therefore cannot reassure constituents. “We have a population left in the dark,” he said.
Donika Emini of the CiviKos Platform agrees Serb complaints are “quite fair” but stresses the law is a standard regulation on foreign residents. The problem, she says, is that Kosovo’s situation is far from normal: administrative barriers proliferate. Certificates and documents from Serbia are frequently not recognized; some people cannot even register marriages performed in Serbia.
Those obstacles have created a grim atmosphere. Belgrade claims a quarter of Kosovo’s Serb population has left since 2022. From North Mitrovica, Radosavljevic fears that number will grow. “You really feel this grim atmosphere, that your identity is being denied and suffocated,” she said. Faced with institutional pressures, people may choose to stay despite the terms, or they may pack their bags and leave. Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan
