Illegal migrations and war

 Perhaps the proximity of war zones on the outskirts of the European Union (EU) has contributed to the slightly reduced number of illegal migrants in this year that has not yet ended. The EU is deeply connected, at least with the Russia-Ukraine war, which has a good chance of escalating into a global military conflict even between the south and north of planet Earth. And of course, this war has brought the smell of war to Slovenia, as an EU member, on its own territory.

In the still unfinished year of 2024, the Uniformed Police Administration, Border Police Sector, handled 44,331 unauthorized entries into Slovenia. In the entire year of 2023, there were 55,228 such cases of unauthorized entries into the country. The most frequent illegal entries into the country this year were citizens of Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey.

This year, as many as 42,673 migrants have expressed their intention to submit applications for international protection, and all of them most likely expect at least accommodation in a migrant center, health and social care, and the right to education. The number of such applications from Syrian citizens has also increased this year from last year's 1,396 to this year's 14,704. Turkish citizens have also expressed their intention to apply for international protection in greater numbers than last year. Last year, there were 2,716 of them. In 2024, by the end of November, there will be as many as 3,820. The number of applications for international protection is expected to decrease from last year's 53,522, but December data is still missing.

The number of unauthorized residences in Slovenia is also expected to decrease. In 2023, the police processed 1,949 unauthorized residences in Slovenia. In 2024, 1,660 cases of illegal residence in Slovenia were processed by the end of November. The most frequently illegal residents in Slovenia were citizens of Macedonia, Albania, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo.

Apart from citizens of Moldova, we can conclude that illegal residence in Slovenia is actually enjoyed by citizens of the former common Yugoslavia, from which Slovenia seceded or gained independence in 1991. And most likely, Slovenia also has a good hinterland for migrants from other parts of Yugoslavia, as Slovenia was more than generous in terms of the possibilities for other citizens of the former common Yugoslavia to apply for Slovenian citizenship, despite the at least ten-day war of independence. And so, through illegal migration, we still remain closely connected to other parts of the former common Yugoslavia. In principle, their number is decreasing in 2024 with some exceptions.

However, the number of illegal residences in Slovenia among migrants from India, the Philippines and Colombia is increasing in 2024. The number of illegal immigrants from Kosovo residing in Slovenia has also increased.

Thus, Slovenia, together with other EU members, is still waiting for stricter measures against illegal immigration and illegal residence on our territory, given the still worrying data on illegal migration.