St. Martin Cathedral in Bratislava. (source: TASR - Dano VeselskĂ˝)
Almost 33,000 foreigners applied for a long-term residence in Slovakia last year. Of these, only 35 applications were rejected. If partners are not married, a long-term residence in Slovakia cannot be obtained.
However, a married Slovak-Malian couple in which the woman is expecting a child also has problems living together in Slovakia, reports public broadcaster RTVS.
Slovak Jozef KostnáÄŤ was introduced to Malian Moussokoro Coulibaly by their mutual acquaintance, Ibrahim Maiga, a showbiz personality of Mali origin well-known in Slovakia.
For more than a year, they communicated via an online translator. When KostnáÄŤ first visited Mali, they married. Although three years have passed, they are still not living together even though the woman is now pregnant and wants to be with her husband.
The Slovak blames a worker at the Slovak embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, where the couple was interviewed in order for the woman to obtain a long-term residence of 5 years.
According to Roman Hájek, spokesperson of the Slovak Police Force, the decision was based on the law governing the residence of foreigners, as well as the opinion of the embassy, which stated that the marriage is expedient, and the way the two met combined with the fact that they haven't lived together seems suspicious.
However, according to experts RTVS talked to, the whole process is taking too long. Visa advisor Oto Kohút says that a process taking three years is not standard. Independent lawyer Branislav Welter recommends re-initiation of the proceedings.
Another option would be to wait for the birth of the child and demand the right of family reunification.
