Metropolitan Yevgeny can't get residence permit as immigration quota full
Metropolitan Yevgeny, bishop of of Tallinn and All Estonia and the head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, appointed by Patriarch Kirill earlier this year, cannot currently get an Estonian residence permit. As a third-state citizen, his application is subject to Estonia's immigration quota, which for this year is already full.
The metropolitan will continue to work in Estonia on the basis of a visa. He can reapply at the end of 2018, and his permit will then be valid on from 1 January 2019, ERR's "Aktuaalne kaamera" newscast reported.
Yevgeny, who before his appointment by the head of the Russian church was rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, has been the head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate since June this year.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, a total of 1,315 third-state citizens were issued residence permits this year, which makes up the total immigration quota for 2018. Just as last year, the quota was full well before the end of the first six months of the year.
The metropolitan's secretary, Daniel Lepisk, told ERR that they will apply for an extended visa and work permit, and reapply for early 2019. According to Lepisk, Metropolitan Yevgeny has arrived in Estonia, but is not yet in Tallinn.
Editor: Dario Cavegn
