Population figures
Total country population
2,118,965
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
11,439
Asylum-seekers:
573
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
5
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
10
Country context
Slovenia is a landlocked Central European state bordered by Austria to the north, Italy to the west, Hungary to the northeast and Croatia to the south. As part of the European Union, its asylum and statelessness frameworks incorporate both national legislation and transposed EU directives, shaping the protection environment for persons of concern.
The principal national instrument is the Asylum Act (2010), complemented by amendments to align with successive EU Reception Conditions and Qualification Directives. In 2021, amendments introduced expanded procedural guarantees—such as legal assistance at first instance—and in May 2023 a government decree operationalized the EU Temporary Protection Directive for arrivals from Ukraine, providing residence permits, accommodation support and access to labour and education pathways (Education Pathway initiative). Detailed guidance on status determination and reception conditions is set out in implementing regulations, with an independent appeal available through administrative courts.
...Refugees and asylum seekers originate from various regions, notably Ukraine—under temporary protection—and, to a lesser extent, the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. These individuals reside in reception centres managed by the Ministry of Interior and in private accommodation in urban centres such as Ljubljana, Maribor and Koper, integrating into local communities rather than living in camps. Access to housing, healthcare and education is regulated by the Asylum Act and related decrees, ensuring parity with nationals in key social services.
Slovenia has acceded to both the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions, and a working group is reviewing domestic procedures to introduce a formal status-determination mechanism. To date, stateless persons are managed under the Foreigners Act through discretionary issuance of identity documents, without codified guarantees of appeal or specialized support. Persons of undetermined nationality—though few—live dispersed in similar urban settings, holding temporary residence permits under the Foreigners Act. Ongoing policy discussions aim to introduce clear procedures for identification, documentation and issuance of statelessness status certificates, thereby strengthening legal certainty and access to rights for this group.
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