Podgorica, (MINA) – A total of 97,995 foreigners have been granted temporary or permanent residence in Montenegro, Minister of the Interior Danilo Saranovic has announced, adding that a distinction should be made between migrants and foreign citizens who have been granted legal residence.
Responding in the Parliament to a question from MP Andjela Vojinovic about the number of foreigners in Montenegro and the reform of the migration policy, Saranovic said that in recent weeks a great deal of unverified information circulated in the public regarding the number of foreign citizens in the country.
“A total number of foreigners residing in Montenegro based on a temporary residence permit is 26,539, while the total number of foreigners who hold both temporary residence and work permit is 41,782”, said Saranovic.
According to him, the total number of foreigners granted permanent residence in Montenegro is 29,664.
Saranovic emphasized that many people in Montenegro do not differentiate between migrants and foreign citizens, stressing that foreigners residing in Montenegro are not migrants, but foreign citizens who have been granted legal residence.
He added that, thanks to the effective handling of illegal migration by Montenegrin authorities, Montenegro is almost not considered part of the Balkan route used by migrants.
Saranović said that, among the foreigners residing in Montenegro based on temporary or permanent residence, the most numerous are citizens of Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo.
“There are 20,793 citizens of Russia with temporary or permanent residency in Montenegro, 23,980 citizens of Serbia, 13,506 citizens of Turkey, 7,287 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as 4,023 citizens of Kosovo”, Saranovic said.
According to him, from January 1 to October 1, the police prosecuted a total of 696 foreign nationals, who committed 673 criminal acts.
“The largest number of foreign nationals prosecuted as perpetrators of criminal offenses come from Serbia (191), Turkey (93), Kosovo (63), Russia (61) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (49)”, Saranovic said.
He called on all public actors in the country to pursue political goals through other means and to allow at least one part of social issues to be protected from political instrumentalization.
