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A:
Serbian citizens to get new passports as of March 2008
Belgrade,
17 September 2007
Serbian Minister of Interior Dragan Jocic said today that with the adoption of a new law on passports, Serbia will be able to issue its own passports for the first time.
Dragan Jocic
Author:
Fonet
Presenting the draft law on passports to deputies in parliament, Jocic said that passports with the state insignia of the Republic of Serbia, is in line with the new Constitution of Serbia, the new Law on citizenship as well as international standards.
The issuance of new passports should start in March 2008 and the replacement of old passports should finish by December 31, 2008.
The new form of passports guarantees reliability, inviolability of personal data, prevention of abuse and fast and simple identification of persons.
According to the Minister, technical protection of passports is necessary for Serbia to come closer to the White Schengen List, which also makes gives our citizens better opportunities for travelling abroad.
Citizens can be deprived of the right to passport only in the cases of criminal proceedings against them, violation of public order and peace, prevention of spreading contagious diseases and country’s defence, Jocic explained.
The new law does not allow the option of joint passports nor the possibility for children to use their parents’ passport, the Minister said.
The law will abolish exit visas, the Minister said and added that citizens living in the Diaspora will be able to submit visa requests in Serbian diplomatic and consular offices abroad.
The law also introduces the protection of the right to passport and it will be executed in two-instance administrative proceedings, he added.
Jocic also announced that the validity period for passports will be reduced from ten to five years.
The Minister presented today in Serbian parliament the Bill on changes and amendments to the law on prevention of violence at sporting events, which introduces much stricter penalties. According to this Bill, Serbian police have the right to prevent the arrival of fans if the groups are prone to violent behaviour, or to forbid the holding of a match if regulations are not respected.
He specified that the sale of alcohol will be banned three hours before a match, during the match and three hours after it, both at the stadium and up to one kilometre away.
The provisions of the Bill introduce much longer prison sentences for hooligans, from six months to five years for those who started an incident by themselves, Jocic said.
Prison sentences for incidents caused within a group will also be extended - from one to eight years of prison. According to the new law, officials and those on duty at a sporting event who do not take appropriate security measures to prevent an incident will also be sentenced to prison.
The issuance of new passports should start in March 2008 and the replacement of old passports should finish by December 31, 2008.
The new form of passports guarantees reliability, inviolability of personal data, prevention of abuse and fast and simple identification of persons.
According to the Minister, technical protection of passports is necessary for Serbia to come closer to the White Schengen List, which also makes gives our citizens better opportunities for travelling abroad.
Citizens can be deprived of the right to passport only in the cases of criminal proceedings against them, violation of public order and peace, prevention of spreading contagious diseases and country’s defence, Jocic explained.
The new law does not allow the option of joint passports nor the possibility for children to use their parents’ passport, the Minister said.
The law will abolish exit visas, the Minister said and added that citizens living in the Diaspora will be able to submit visa requests in Serbian diplomatic and consular offices abroad.
The law also introduces the protection of the right to passport and it will be executed in two-instance administrative proceedings, he added.
Jocic also announced that the validity period for passports will be reduced from ten to five years.
The Minister presented today in Serbian parliament the Bill on changes and amendments to the law on prevention of violence at sporting events, which introduces much stricter penalties. According to this Bill, Serbian police have the right to prevent the arrival of fans if the groups are prone to violent behaviour, or to forbid the holding of a match if regulations are not respected.
He specified that the sale of alcohol will be banned three hours before a match, during the match and three hours after it, both at the stadium and up to one kilometre away.
The provisions of the Bill introduce much longer prison sentences for hooligans, from six months to five years for those who started an incident by themselves, Jocic said.
Prison sentences for incidents caused within a group will also be extended - from one to eight years of prison. According to the new law, officials and those on duty at a sporting event who do not take appropriate security measures to prevent an incident will also be sentenced to prison.
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