By: A.S.
Mass migration may once have been primarily a phenomenon faced by Western European societies, but this has changed in recent years. Police officers have their hands full every week working with illegal migrants, not only along the Slovenian border, but also within the country, and now the asylum centre in Ljubljana is running out of space, which is why the Migrant Office is looking for new possible accommodation for applicants for asylum in Slovenia.
Between January 1st and May 31st this year, Slovenian police officers dealt with as many as 4,333 illegal border crossings, while in the same period last year they dealt with almost 2,000 fewer cases of illegal migration, namely “only” 2,466. This means that the number of illegal border crossings increased by as much as 75.5 percent. Among the illegal migrants there was majority of Afghans, who make up just under a quarter of all illegals.
The Asylum Home in Ljubljana’s Vič is therefore said to be facing an excessive number of asylum seekers. By May of this year, as many as 700 migrants are expected to be newly housed in the said home. In addition to Afghans, the increase in the number of newcomers from sub-Saharan Africa also stands out. Due to the large number of people waiting to apply for asylum, the Office for the Care and Integration of Migrants had to distribute them in common areas, such as the dining room and containers. According to some media reports, the management of the office is therefore looking for new possible accommodation for migrants.
The problem of mass migration, which Europe has been facing for decades, is thus increasingly present in Slovenia as well. Apart from Ukrainians fleeing the war, 41,140 migrants have already entered Europe via the Mediterranean this year.