Inadequate asylum law in Slovenia

So far this spring Slovenia has only granted nine persons official refugee status, although over 780 people applied for asylum. Gorazd Utenkar examines why this proportion is so small: "The borders between the countries of the EU are permeable, but its external ones are pretty impermeable. One of the EU's outer borders is in southern Slovenia. Many foreigners enter the country without the necessary documents... Moreover, the new asylum law is inadequate. The controversial paragraph 26 is still in force, according to which the police are responsible for foreigners who enter or remain in Slovenia illegally, because this is unlawful entry and residence. This makes it only too easy for the police to turn asylum seekers out of the country without their cases ever having been given a fair hearing."

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