Kosovo issued 748 work permits in July amid political criticism

The Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs released statistics for July showing a total of 1,259 temporary residence permits were issued. Work-related permits constituted the largest group with 748 issuances, followed by 478 for family reunification and 33 for study purposes.

Among the foreign nationals receiving permits, Turkish citizens represented the largest group with 439 cases, followed by Serbs with 289 and Albanians with 149. Other notable groups included citizens from North Macedonia, the Philippines, the United States, Egypt, and Myanmar.

Janina Ymeri, an elected deputy from the LDK, criticized the data, alleging that the government is encouraging the emigration of the Kosovar workforce to make room for other nationalities. She noted that employment statistics have not shown significant improvement in recent years despite the influx of foreign labor permits.