Gogic: New laws in Kosovo threaten the work of Serbian health institutions and the stay of doctors from Serbia

Kosovo’s Law on Foreigners, whose implementation is expected to begin next week, could affect the work of health institutions that operate within the Serbian system, warns political scientist Ognjen Gogic. Speaking to Kosovo Online, he says that some healthcare workers could face residence restrictions, as well as a ban on working.

Gogic points out that a number of healthcare workers employed in Serbian health institutions in Kosovo come from central Serbia and stay only on the basis of documents issued by Serbia.

“Under this law, they become foreigners, and the time they can spend in Kosovo is limited by law. Moreover, they are required to register their stay within that time frame, so they will first have to limit the time they spend in Kosovo, meaning they must not exceed the legal threshold they are allowed, but they will also be forced to report to the Kosovo Police if they wish to stay longer within that period,” Gogic said.

He adds that alongside the Law on Foreigners, the issue of work permits could also arise, that is, whether those individuals are allowed to work in institutions that are not legally recognized in Kosovo during the period of their stay.

“Alongside limiting the time they spend in Kosovo, their right to work could also be restricted, that is, their right to carry out activities, which then calls into question the provision of healthcare services. This actually leads to a potential reduction in the staffing capacity of those institutions that depend, among other things, on workers from central Serbia,” Gogic said.

He added that the vehicles used by health institutions, such as ambulances, are also registered in Serbia and that these vehicles are owned by the Ministry of Health of Serbia.

“In that way, together with the issue of authorizations for individuals, the question will arise whether drivers are allowed to drive those vehicles and on the basis of which authorizations. Therefore, even ambulance transport could be called into question,” Gogic added.