Original scientific paper
Immigrants in Slovenia: Integration Aspects
Janja Žitnik
Abstract
On the basis of the latest statistics, the author estimates the present share of first- and second-generation immigrants in Slovenia’s population. After examining the quantity and intensity of those public efforts in Slovenia that have been focused on unresolved problems of the immigrants’ social and cultural integration, she continues to question the equality of immigrant minorities in Slovenia, and the sufficiency of the existing programs aimed at facilitating their integration with Slovenian society at large. She explains her doubts about the general assumption that a very clear distinction should be made between the rights of the autochthonous minorities and those of the immigrant ones as far as their special protection is concerned. In the third section of this article, the author discusses the social-ethnic stratification of Slovenian society and tries to look into the psychological background of the nationality/ethnicity statistics. She presents some aspects of the immigrants’ daily experience in Slovenian social, cultural, educational and working milieu, and points to the authorities’ attitude toward them. She comments on the burning issue of the “deleted residents”, and illustrates it with the experience of one of the persons involved. The fourth section, in which the most regular symptoms of Slovenian xenophobia are presented, consists of first-hand observations and focuses on the daily human attitude of the national majority towards the immigrant minorities. Finally the author compares the nature of the specific needs of Slovenians as a “European national minority” with the needs of the immigrant minorities in Slovenia.
Keywords
migration; Slovenia; former Yugoslavia; cultural integration; living conditions; xenophobia; intercultural relations
Hrčak ID:
7266
URI
Publication date:
28.9.2004.
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