STA, 18 September 2020 - The police processed some 10,220 illegal crossings of Slovenia's borders until the end of August, up 3.3% compared to the same period in 2019. In summer, the figure was on the rise, in August alone the police handled more than 2,600 cases of illegal migrations, mostly involving citizens from Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan.
In the first two months of 2020, the number of illegal crossings of the border was up on the same period in 2019, followed by a lull in illegal migrations caused by anti-corona restrictions. In May, the figure increased to roughly 900 and in summer months it shot up, police data show.
In June, police processed some 1,800 foreigners who had crossed the border illegally, some 2,430 in July and 2,670 in August, and the upward trend is expected to continue in the coming months.
A total of 2,920 asylum seekers were recorded in Slovenia in the first eight months of 2020, most of them were from Morocco. The figure dropped by 13% compared to the same period last year. The police believes the decrease is mostly a result of a drop in the number of Algerian citizens stemming from new migration routes.
The asylum seekers mostly continue on their way heading towards their final destinations after being accommodated at reception facilities in Slovenia, said the police.
According to the Interior Ministry data, 500 requests for international protection were filed in August, mostly by citizens of Morocco and Pakistan. A total of 475 requests were processed, ten were granted protection and 430 cases were stayed.
The latest relevant data show that in the first seven moths of this year, 72 persons were given the asylum status and 85 in the entire 2019. Processed cases totalled 1,548 until the end of July and 3,838 in 2019.
The STA is releasing charts showing relevant statistics regarding the numbers of illegal crossings and asylum seekers or those already granted international protection.
Number of illegal crossings of the border in the first eight months of 2020 and 2019 according to citizenship
Nationality Number of crossings
2020 2019
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Pakistan 2813 2360
Morocco 2205 774
Afghanistan 1821 1071
Bangladesh 776 685
Algeria 577 1440
Croatia 403 217
Iraq 332 562
Egypt 200 161
Syria 171 469
Iran 163 504
other 762 1653
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total 10,223 9896
Number of persons handed over to Slovenia's police and handed over by Slovenian authorities in the first eight months of 2020 and 2019
Handed over to Handed over to
Slovenian police foreign authorities
country 2019 2020 2019 2020
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Italy 207 682 58 19
Austria 62 98 9 6
Croatia 19 18 6457 6781
Hungary 3 6 0 8
airport 177 86 20 9
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total 468 890 6544 6823
Source: Police, Interior Ministry, Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants
