The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, has appealed to world leaders to intervene and stop the implementation of what he described as a “discriminatory law” in Kosovo, warning that it could lead to the expulsion of the Serbian population and threaten Orthodox religious heritage in the region.

According to a statement published by the Serbian Orthodox Church, letters were sent to several international leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, Pope Pope Leo XIV, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and UNESCO Director-General Khaled el‑Enany.

In his letters, Porfirije urged the leaders to use their authority to persuade authorities in Pristina to abandon enforcement of the law. “Do not allow the Serbian Orthodox people to be expelled from Kosovo and Metohija,” he wrote.

The patriarch warned that the new legislation, often referred to as the “foreigners law,” could disrupt key Serbian institutions in the region, including the University of Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbian schools, and the healthcare system serving the local Serb community. If teachers, medical workers, and other staff are classified as “foreigners,” many could lose their legal right to work in the territory.

According to Porfirije, such measures could trigger “an even more massive, if not final exodus” of Serbs from Kosovo. He also noted that the region is home to roughly 1,300 Orthodox churches and monasteries, many of which have previously suffered damage or destruction. Four of them are listed as endangered sites on the World Heritage List maintained by UNESCO.

Despite the rising tensions, the patriarch emphasized the importance of a peaceful resolution. “Human life is the greatest sacred value, and we must preserve it,” he said.

The controversy centers on a law that Kosovo authorities plan to fully enforce starting March 15. Representatives of the Serbian community and regional experts estimate that the new regulations could affect thousands of teachers, doctors, students, and clergy working in Serbian-run institutions across the territory of Kosovo.