Independent Advisor at the Regional Unit for Administrative Affairs, Citizenship and Foreigners - Bijelo Polje M. Mehovic, illegally issued two residence and work permits for two Turkish citizens, one of whom potentially even had a criminal record.
This stems from the Record of an extraordinary inspection conducted by the Ministry of Interior, Directorate for Administrative Affairs, Citizenship and Foreigners (Directorate for Foreigners, Migrants and Readmission), which Vijesti had access to, which checked whether work and residence permits for foreigners were issued legally, and five Turkish citizens were included in the inspection.
Through an extraordinary administrative inspection, the state inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs determined that the officer of the Bijelo Polje Police Station Mehović violated the law by issuing two residence permits without legal requirements, while neglecting the obligation to check.
The Police Administration and Directorate, as well as the Basic State Prosecutor's Office, did not respond to questions sent on Friday.
The ODT said they would send a response on Monday, but they did not do so.
The Inspectorate has been under extraordinary administrative supervision since November 28, 2024, which was signed by the Head of the Directorate for Foreigners, Migration and Readmission. Dragan Dasic, proved that the MUP OB in Bijelo Polje illegally issued permits for two foreign citizens and ordered them to be revoked.
In the procedure initiated and conducted ex officio, the authorized official inspected the electronic records on foreigners kept at the Bijelo Polje Regional Unit, as well as the available documentation.
Five people were checked, and all listed items relate to issued or extended permits for temporary residence and work of foreigners on the territory of Montenegro.
"When it comes to the legal framework, which is quoted in the minutes, it is stated that Article 43 of the Law on Foreigners prescribes general conditions for issuing a temporary residence permit, and a temporary residence permit and a temporary residence and work permit may be issued to a foreigner if: he has means of subsistence, has secured accommodation, has health insurance, has a valid foreign travel document... he has not been issued with a ban on entry and residence in Montenegro, he has not been finally sentenced in Montenegro to an unconditional prison sentence of more than six months for a criminal offense prosecuted ex officio or the legal consequences of the conviction have ceased"...
In the case of Turkish citizen Esat Karademir, it states that proof that he has not been convicted in his country of origin is not valid...
"Also, evidence that the person has not been sentenced in the country of origin to an unconditional prison sentence of more than six months for a criminal offense prosecuted ex officio or that the legal consequences of the conviction have ceased... is not valid and should not have been accepted or approved because it states that 'the person with the above personal data has a record of punishment', as well as that 'the person with the above data has a record of punishment in the archive'. Namely, this evidence should have been additionally verified, or that the party should have been asked to supplement the request in order to accurately determine the amount of the sentence, as well as the fact that the sentence is conditional or unconditional, or whether the legal consequences of the conviction have ceased," states the Minutes on Extraordinary Administrative Supervision of the Directorate.
In the case of the issuance of a permit issued to Turkish citizen Erkan Cicekbilek, valid from September 13, 2024 to May 9, 2025, the following irregularities were found:
"Proof of justification of the request for issuing a permit, i.e. the employer's written offer to employ a foreigner in a specific job position, issued by the employer... from 2 September 2024, was issued for a period of four months, and the temporary residence and work permit was issued for the period of validity from 13 September 2024 to 9 May 2025. The employer's written offer had to be issued for the period of validity of the permit, i.e. for the period from 13 September 2024 to 9 May 2025. This is particularly important because 'through' the written offer, proof of the foreigner's means of support during his stay in Montenegro was also provided."
The Minutes signed by the Head of the Directorate for Foreigners, Migration and Readmission, Dašić, order the authorized official for administrative proceedings to eliminate the identified irregularities within 60 days of receipt, or to initiate, in cooperation with colleagues from the Directorate of Immigration, the termination of the validity of the permit submitted on September 5, 2024.
Also, Officer Mehović was ordered to comment on the circumstances of the two aforementioned requests, which were submitted on September 5, 2024.
The Police Administration and the Directorate did not respond to Vijesti's questions sent by email, while the Bijelo Polje Public Prosecutor's Office stated that they received the questions on Friday, that in the meantime they were at trials, which is why they were unable to answer the newspaper's questions, and that they would do so on Monday.
Bonus video:
