The security sector is exclusively focused on examining the attitude of foreigners towards respect for the law and the legal order - a "red light" for generalization and stigmatization of any kind, and a "green light" for respect for the law, goodwill, healthy capital and pure intentions, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić (Democrats) told "Vijesti".
"Whoever respects the laws of the state of Montenegro, the doors of our country are wide open for them to reside, work, visit, invest, do business, and the like. Whoever violates the laws will be sanctioned in accordance with the law. The authorities are absolutely not interested in national, religious or any other affiliation, and this is clearly shown by the data that in both the first and second groups I spoke about, that is, among the responsible and dedicated, but also the irresponsible and ill-intentioned, you can find all national or religious groups that are otherwise found in Montenegro," said Bečić.
He stated that the competent security sector authorities, when it comes to foreign citizens and the measures taken in accordance with the law, are exclusively committed to examining the attitude of foreigners towards respect for the law and the legal order.
Bečić also said that the data shows that, based on legal jurisdiction and conclusions of the Bureau for Operational Coordination (BOK), "the activities of the Police Directorate in verifying compliance with the Law on Foreigners and taking prescribed sanctions have been extremely intensified."
"Namely, if we compare the two-year period, we can conclude that, taken together, in 2022 and 2023, 12.127 misdemeanor reports were filed and misdemeanor orders were issued, and in 2024 and 2025, a total of 20.687, which indicates a growth of 71 percent in the aforementioned two-year period. Also, although growth was recorded in 2024 compared to previous years, we witness that in 2025, the Police Directorate achieved record results on all grounds and when we talk about the decisive implementation of the Law on Foreigners. The above shows that in 2025, 22 percent more misdemeanor reports were filed than in 2024, 26 percent more fines were collected, 41 percent more decisions on return to the home country were issued, 178 percent more decisions on forced removal, 153 percent more decisions on expulsion, 20 percent more decisions on on the ban on the entry of foreigners, 31 percent more cancellations of residence up to 90 days and 624 percent more initiatives to terminate the temporary residence of foreigners than in 2024...", he underlined.
He said that strict compliance with legal norms, detailed controls by the authorities, along with the legal improvements brought about by the adoption of amendments to the Law on Foreigners at the end of last year, including in preventing previously detected abuses of obtaining residence by fictitious establishment of companies, purchase of extremely low-value real estate and other means, are the path to clearly regulating the situation in this area, all with the aim of "opening the door for every well-intentioned foreign citizen who brings stability and responsibility, but also preventing every unauthorized and irresponsible maneuver that generates problems and instability."
"So a red light for generalization and stigmatization of any kind, and a green light for respect for the law, goodwill, healthy capital and pure intentions," Bečić said.
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