STA, 7 February 2019 - There are currently 646 people with refugee status in Slovenia. They are housed in integration houses or private accommodations, 99 of them are living abroad. A total of 109 are enrolled in schools, while around 100 refugees have already found a job.
According to the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants (Urad Vlade Republike Slovenije za oskrbo in integracijo migrantov), the majority of refugees are citizens of Syria, Eritrea, and Iran, followed by the citizens of the former Yugoslav republics. They are entitled to financial compensation for private accommodation, integration assistance, employment, health and social care, and education.
Integration assistance is available for three years after gaining an international protection status and is provided by integration consultants at the office and non-governmental organizations.
The refugees attend integration assistance courses, such as the one conducted by Odnos association that supports them in finding employment, opening a bank account or submitting applications.
The refugees are also included in 300-hour Slovenian language courses, which can be extended. The office covers the costs of a one-time language proficiency test as well.
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When it comes to employment, refugees are equal to Slovenian citizens, therefore having free access to the labour market. The Employment Service also conducts a course on integration into the labour market. According to the Office, there is no accurate data on the number of refugee employees, but they estimate that approximately 100 of them have jobs.
Among the refugees there are 184 children or minors, 12 are unaccompanied minors who are housed in boarding schools. Of the 109 enrolled in educational institutions, most are in primary school and 17 attend university.
