The status of foreign citizens since the Decision on declare a state of emergency (“RS Official Gazette”, No. 29 of March 15, 2020) was uncertain, especially given the RS Government’s Conclusion on termination of work with parties through direct contact (“Official Gazette” RS “, No. 35 of March 18, 2020, 37 of March 19, 2020). Since the closure of the Directorates for Foreigners throughout the whole territory of Republic of Serbia, concernedness’ of the foreign nationals were regard to the impossibility of filing a request to regulate their stay, as well as criminal provisions prescribed by the Law on foreigners (“Official Gazette of RS”, Nos. 24/2018 and 31/2019).
Having in mind the abovementioned legal uncertainty, on 24 March 2020 the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Decision on the Status of Foreign Citizens in the Republic of Serbia during the State of Emergency (“RS Official Gazette”, No. 41 of 24 March 2020, hereinafter: : “Decision”), which entered into force on the same day.
The Decision stipulates that foreign nationals who legally resided in the Republic of Serbia on the date of entry into force of the Decision on declare a state of emergency, on any of the grounds prescribed by the Law on foreigners, may lawfully remain in the Republic of Serbia for as long as the said Decision is in force, that is, during a state of emergency without the obligation to initiate proceedings to further determine their status.
ID card for a foreigner issued under the Law on foreigner, as well as an ID card for an asylum seeker and an ID card for asylum seekers under the Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection (Official Gazette RS, No. 24/18 ), which expired or expired while the Decision on declare a state of emergency is in force, shall be considered valid as long as the said Decision is in force.
Finally, it is stipulated that during the validity of the Decision on declaring a state of emergency, until the conditions for safe taking of biometric data from a foreigner are suspended, the police officers’ actions regarding the prescribed taking of such data shall be suspended.
The Departments for foreigners have not yet introduced the possibility of submitting requests and documentation for regulating their stay in the Republic of Serbia electronically, similar to the National Employment Service, and this will be decided subsequently.
If you have any questions or need additional information regarding the status of foreigners in the Republic of Serbia during a state of emergency, you can contact Ana Popovic, Partner in the Employment and Immigration Department at the Zivkovic Samardzic office at ana.popovic@zslaw.rs or Teodora Budanovic, a trainee attorney at law in the Employment and Immigration department at email teodora.budanovic@zslaw.rs, as well as the regular contact office@zslaw.rs.
Odluka Vlade Republike Srbije o statusu stranih državljana u Republici Srbiji za vreme vanrednog stanja
Status stranih državljanina od donošenje Odluke o proglašenju vanrednog stanja (“Službeni glasnik RS”, broj 29 od 15. marta 2020.) bio je neizvestan, posebno imajući u vidu i Zaključak Vlade RS o obustavljanju rada sa strankama putem neposrednog kontakta( „Službeni glasnik RS”, br. 35 od 18. marta 2020, 37 od 19. marta 2020.). Od zatvaranja Uprava za strance na celoj teritoriji Republike Srbije, bojazan stranih državljana odnosila se na nemogućnost podnošenja zahteva za regulisanje njihovog boravka, kao i na kaznene odredbe koje su propisane Zakonom o strancima (“Sl. glasnik RS”, br. 24/2018 i 31/2019).
Imajući u vidu gorenavedenu pravnu nesigurnost, Vlada Republike Srbije je dana 24. marta 2020. godine donela Odluku o statusu stranih državljana u Republici Srbiji za vreme vanrednog stanja (“Službeni glasnik RS”, broj 41 od 24. marta 2020., u daljem tekstu: „Odluka“), koja je istog dana stupila na snagu.
U Odluci se propisuje da strani državljani koji su na dan stupanja na snagu Odluke o proglašenju vanrednog stanja zakonito boravili u Republici Srbiji, po bilo kom od osnova propisanih Zakonom o strancima, mogu zakonito ostati u Republici Srbiji za vreme dok je na snazi navedena odluka, odnosno dok traje vanredno stanje, bez obaveze pokretanja postupka za dalje utvrđivanje njihovog statusa.
Lična karta za stranca koja je izdata u skladu sa Zakonom o strancima, kao i lična karta za tražioca azila i lična karta za lica kome je odobren azil u skladu sa Zakonom o azilu i privremnoj zaštiti („Službeni glasnik PC”, broj 24/18), a kojima je istekao ili istekne rok važenja dok je na snazi Odluka o proglašenju vanrednog stanja, smatraju se važećim dok je navedena odluka na snazi.
Na kraju je propisano da se za vreme važenja Odluke o proglašenju vanrednog stanja privremeno, do sticanja uslova za bezbedno uzimanje biometrijskih podataka od stranca, obustavlja postupanje policijskih službenika vezano za propisano uzimanje tih podataka.
Uprave za strance još uvek nisu, po ugledu na Nacionalnu službu za zapošljavenje, uvele mogućnost podnošenja zahteva i dokumentacije za regulisanje boravka u Republici Srbiji elektronskim putem, i o tome će naknadno biti odlučeno.
Ukoliko imate bilo kakvih pitanja ili su Vam potrebne dodatne informacije u vezi sa statusom stranaca u Republici Srbije za vreme vanrednog stanja, možete se obratiti Ani Popović, Partneru u radnom i imigracionom odeljenju u kancelariji Živković Samardžić na email ana.popovic@zslaw.rs ili Teodori Budanović, advokatskom pripravniku u radnom i imigracionom odeljenju na email teodora.budanovic@zslaw.rs, kao i na adresu za redovan kontakt office@zslaw.rs.