Overview

Slovenia counts as a transit country. In 2015 due to the massive and strong migration from South to North (including the closure of the so-called Balkan corridor), Slovenia started to be recognized as a country of residence, too. More people are asking for international protection in comparison to the years before 2015. Consequently, more people receive international and subsidiary protection. Although the asylum policy of the country is still one of the strictest in Europe!

Slovenia lies on the Balkan Route, a land route that is used by many migrants from Greece (Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Croatia, Slovenia) to reach the other parts of Europe. The border line is 1370 km on land (rivers taken into account) and includes 670 km between Slovenia and Croatia. Approximately 1400 policemen will be patrolling the border areas since all borders of Slovenia belong to the Schengen agreement starting January 1, 2023. The buildings on the sites of official border crossings will be removed slowly. Seven police units will be executing compensatory measures inland and along the border lines. Two of their main tasks are to reveal illegal crossings and cease the smugglers. This means that these police units have the right to control you everywhere inside the country.

From 2018 there is an increasing number of pushbacks to Croatia (violent collective and individual expulsions) accomplished by the police. But, regardless of illegal practices of the Slovenian police, more and more people manage to cross the borders. While the government of Slovenia is developing the discourse of fear and is mostly caring about the security issues, people come, stay or go forward to other parts of Europe and the world. Please pay attention to section Pushbacks to find out more about this issue.

We explain in a Q&A form about the rights for asylum (section Asylum), i.e., international protection. A few organizations are working on issues of integration, and a few semi-formal, non-formal, grassroots initiatives working directly with refugees on issues like housing, schooling, counseling, migrant workers’ rights, access to the labor market and other daily struggles. Please look at the section Contacts to reach out to the relevant organizations to address your questions and troubles.

In section Housing , you find the necessary info on how the formal structures organize the accommodation for asylum seekers and info on accommodation of persons with international protection status.

In section Detention , you find the address of the detention center and the phone number of a single men department inside of it. In case you find out that your fellow in detention in Postojna, you can call the department directly for single men. Other info on detention as well provided.