Slovenia's inglorious entry into 2024

Slovenia is preparing to enter 2024 with inflation, a conflagration after last year's fires and a financial disaster after this year's floods, as well as an increased number of unauthorized entries into Slovenia.

This is what some of the negative factors of this past year look like, and they will remain active negative factors in the everyday life of Slovenian citizens even in 2024.

The number of illegal migrants who, despite all the gracious migration welcome in Slovenia, still enter Slovenia illegally, increased from last year's 30.141 to an infamous 55.230. Of course, the data is collected only until the end of November. Most illegal migrants are from Afghanistan, Morocco and Pakistan. "Only" 53.526 migrants expressed their intention for international protection. However, the number of illegal migrants living in Slovenia fell from last year's 3.969 to 1.940. The largest number of illegal migrants who resided illegally in Slovenia this year were from Moldova, Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The previous year, 2022, from Albania, Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Source: Administration of the Information Police of the Republic of Slovenia, Sector of the Border Police)

Wars and conflicts on the periphery of the EU (European Union) or the economic crisis, or both at the same time, directly affect the standard of living of citizens of peaceful countries.

It is more than obvious that even more than a year of support from the EU, and thus also Slovenia, to Ukraine because of the invasion of the Russian Federation, due to the indirect threat of war, is in no way reflected in the decline of illegal migration flows to the territory of the EU and Slovenia.

As for inflation measured by individual EU member states, Slovenia is not the worst at 4,5%. Slovakia leads with 6,9%, Croatia with 5,5% and Austria with 4,9%. The only one in the EU that does not struggle with inflation is Belgium with -0,8%. (Source: European Central Bank)

Of course, when we enter 2024 in January, we will be shaken by the lost December discounts, the announced increases in electricity prices, the increase in the price of heating with other energy sources, the most likely increase in the price of communal services, and most likely I have forgotten which price increase. January of each new year is usually also the month of price increases.

In Slovenia, after the floods in 2023, work is still ongoing on watercourses at 240 work sites. 28 are partially completed. However, they managed to complete work on 822 work sites on watercourses. (Source: RS, Ministry of Natural Resources and Space)

It may be possible, precisely because of the unfinished works on the watercourses, to still file an application for aid after the floods of 2023. According to data on gov.si, the government has so far paid out aid for the renovation of apartments after 4,751 applications with a total value of 22.717.299,66 €.