Long-standing issue resolved: Kosovo-origin residents with legal residence in Montenegro can now obtain health insurance
Conditions have now been established for residents of Kosovo origin with legal residence in Montenegro to obtain public health insurance, provided they submit a certificate from the competent authorities in Kosovo confirming that they are not insured there, the Association for the Support of Roma and Egyptians from Berane announced.
The organization stated that this resolves a long-standing issue following months of institutional advocacy, marking an important step forward in the protection of human rights and correcting a years-long injustice that had affected many families.
The Association's Executive Director, Sultan Beća, said the decision represents much more than an administrative change.
- Above all, this is a victory for people. A victory for families who spent years living with a sense of injustice, for parents who worried about how they would provide medical care for their children, and for everyone who simply asked to be treated equally by the institutions of their own country. When you see that citizens can now submit the necessary documents and exercise a right that was denied to them for years, you know that every obstacle we faced was worth overcoming. This proves that persistence, faith in justice, and institutional advocacy can change people's lives for the better - Beća said.
He stressed that the achievement does not belong to a single individual or institution.
- It belongs to all the citizens who refused to give up, to every family that placed its trust in us, and to every institution that demonstrated the responsibility to correct an injustice - Beća added.
According to the Association, the process began when citizens approached them after being unable to exercise one of the most fundamental human rights - the right to healthcare.
- Behind every individual case there was not merely an administrative issue, but families, children, elderly people, and individuals for whom access to healthcare was essential. That is precisely why we could not remain silent - the statement said.
The Association explained that it first addressed the issue with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, before filing an official complaint with the Ombudsman of Montenegro over unequal treatment of citizens seeking access to health insurance.
- Following the investigation, the Ombudsman found that the right to equal treatment had been violated and identified elements of indirect discrimination, then subsequently issued recommendations to the Health Insurance Fund of Montenegro to eliminate the identified irregularities and ensure equal access to health insurance. After the Ombudsman's opinion was issued, the Association also informed the Government of Montenegro, including Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Ambassador Johann Sattler, and other competent institutions, emphasizing the importance of urgently implementing the Ombudsman's recommendations - the statement reads.
The Association for the Support of Roma and Egyptians from Berane said it will continue to stand by citizens and advocate for the protection of human rights, equality, and the dignity of every individual.
- The greatest victory is not winning a single case. The greatest victory is when, because of your efforts, a child can go to the doctor, a family gains a sense of security, and justice becomes a reality - the Association concluded.