Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Welcome Slovenia’s Anti-Discrimination Laws and Institutions, Ask about the 2025 Public Safety Act and[...]

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today concluded its consideration of the combined twelfth to fourteenth periodic reports of Slovenia on its implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Committee Experts welcomed the State's laws and institutions tackling discrimination, and asked questions on the impact of the 2025 act on public safety and on measures to address the disparities faced by the Roma.

Michal Balcerzak, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the Committee noted with interest the adoption of the protection against discrimination act in 2016; the explicit prohibition of incitement to discrimination, including racist conduct; the establishment of the Advocate of the Principle of Equality; and the accreditation of the Ombudsman with "A" status under the Paris Principles.

Mr. Balcerzak said the "emergency measures to ensure public safety act" was introduced in 2025 following a death due to battery, with a suspect belonging to the Roma community. The law expanded police powers in so-called "security risk areas" and could be used to withdraw certain social benefits from individuals convicted of misdemeanours. Had the Government noted problems with this law?

Shaikha Al-Misnad, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur, said life expectancy among Roma was reportedly 22 years lower than that of the general population; infant mortality was four times higher than the average; and some Roma communities continued to lack access to safe drinking water, electricity and essential services. What measures were being taken to address these disparities?

Introducing the report, Barbara Goričan, Director General for Social Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of Slovenia and head of the delegation, said the report covered the period from 2015 to 2019. Since 2019, there had been significant legislative, institutional and policy progress in implementing the Convention.

The emergency measures to ensure public safety act applied to everyone in a uniform manner and did not target a specific community, the delegation said. It included the principle of proportionality; targeted measures could only be used in areas where there was a higher security risk and when there was a need to protect the lives and property of people.

Addressing the situation of Roma communities remained a priority for Slovenia, Ms. Goričan said. The national programme of measures for Roma 2021-2030 provided a comprehensive framework covering education, employment, health, housing, social inclusion, and the fight against discrimination.

The delegation added that the Ministry of Health had organised workshops and training on health in 12 Roma communities, while the Ministry of Education was working to include Roma children in preschool education and had placed specialised "Roma assistants" in schools. Since 2024, the State party had also been implementing 14 social activation projects that promoted labour inclusion of the Roma.

In concluding remarks, Mr. Balcerzak congratulated the State party on its impressive progress over the last 10 years. Legal protection against discrimination was strong in Slovenia. However, he said the dialogue had highlighted issues remaining to be addressed. He wished the State party all the best in its efforts to tackle racial discrimination.

Ms. Goričan, in concluding remarks, said the delegation had presented efforts to strengthen the national human rights institution, improve the social inclusion of the Roma, protect the cultural rights of minorities, and decisively combat hate speech. The State party would not shy away from the issues remaining to be addressed. Slovenia remained fully committed to the implementation of the Convention.

In his concluding remarks, Gün Kut, Committee Chair, thanked the delegation for the frank and constructive dialogue, which would guide the Committee's work in developing concluding observations.

The delegation of Slovenia consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of the Interior; General Police Directorate; Ministry of Culture; Government Office for National Minorities; Ministry of Health; Office for Youth; Ministry of Education; Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants; and the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the report of Slovenia after the conclusion of its one hundred and seventeenth session on 1 May. The programme of work and other documents related to the session can be found here. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the meetings can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public on Thursday, 16 April at 3 p.m. to consider the twenty-fifth periodic report of Cyprus (CERD/C/CYP/25).

Report

The Committee has before it the combined twelfth to fourteenth periodic reports of Slovenia (CERD/C/SVN/12-14).

Presentation of Report

BARBARA GORIČAN, Director General for Social Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of Slovenia and head of the delegation, said the report covered the period from 2015 to 2019. It was the result of extensive inter-ministerial cooperation involving several ministries and Government offices, the Human Rights Ombudsman, the Advocate of the Principle of Equality, and the Inter-Ministerial Commission for Human Rights. Such cooperation ensured a transparent and comprehensive reflection of the State's obligations under the Convention.

Since 2019, there had been significant legislative, institutional and policy progress in implementing the Convention. The Advocate of the Principle of Equality had operated as an independent authority since 2016, and in 2021 the Human Rights Ombudsman received "A" status accreditation in line with the Paris Principles. Special attention had been paid to ensuring stable financing for both institutions, which was essential for the effective prevention of discrimination.

Addressing the situation of Roma communities remained a priority. The national programme of measures for Roma 2021-2030 provided a comprehensive framework covering education, employment, health, housing, social inclusion and the fight against discrimination. Its first evaluation in 2024 served as the basis for updating and strengthening the programme. At the local level, the National Platform for Roma project played an important role. The sixth iteration of the project, concluded in 2025, strengthened dialogue among State authorities, local communities, and Roma representatives. The seventh, running from 2025 to 2027, continued this work with a focus on training Roma councillors, raising awareness of anti-Roma discrimination, and promoting intercultural dialogue.

Preventing early and forced marriages remained a key concern. A specialised working group prepared an expert manual in 2021, updated in 2023, which was now used by police, social workers, schools and prosecutors. Ongoing training since 2022 had improved detection and institutional responses. In addition, social inclusion had been reinforced through 19 "Social Activation+" projects selected in 2024, with a particular emphasis on Roma women, and through a nationwide network of multigenerational centres operating in Roma environments.

Slovenia paid particular attention to persons belonging to national and ethnic communities without constitutionally recognised minority status, as well as to migration and hate speech. The strategy for the integration of foreigners, adopted in 2023, and the strategy on immigration from 2024 provided a coherent framework covering legal migration, language learning, integration and forced displacement. Slovenian-language learning programmes had expanded substantially, with participation increasing from 1,599 persons in 2019 to over 6,000 in 2024. Amendments to the foreigners act in 2023 and 2025 simplified procedures for residence and work, clarified language requirements, and removed unconstitutional restrictions on movement.

In the field of international protection, since 2023, asylum seekers had had access to the labour market after three months from the lodging of their application, which significantly contributed to their self-reliance and integration. For beneficiaries of international protection, integration measures had been reinforced. The framework for the care of unaccompanied minors had been regulated and was implemented without discrimination for all migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons.

Slovenia had also intensified efforts to combat hate speech. The Strategic Council for the Prevention of Hate Speech, established in 2023, prepared 57 recommendations that were already being implemented. Amendments to the Criminal Code introduced hate-motivated intent based on personal circumstances as a mandatory aggravating factor, while the audiovisual media services act extended the prohibition of hate speech to online platforms.

In the youth sector, initiatives promoting intercultural dialogue continued, including the 2025 publication of the scientific monograph "Compassionate Language among Youth", accompanied by professional seminars.

The 2024 act regulating the cultural rights of communities originating from the territory of the former Yugoslavia ensured stable financing, supported identity preservation, and enabled co-decision-making, complemented by mother-tongue education and cultural projects.

Slovenia remained firmly committed to the full implementation of the Convention. It had strengthened its legal and institutional framework and complemented it with concrete measures, with a clear focus on tangible results in people's everyday lives.

VERA KLOPČIČ, External Expert and Researcher, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of Slovenia, said that the Committee's recommendations had had a significant positive impact on the regulation of human rights protection, on the protection of ethnic communities, and on the combatting of racial discrimination in Slovenia. The Convention operated directly as part of the legal order in Slovenia. The State remained firmly committed to upholding human rights and fostering an inclusive society free of racial discrimination. The guidance of the Committee continued to play an invaluable role in achieving these goals.

Questions by Committee Experts

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the Committee's last dialogue with Slovenia was held in 2015. In the current dialogue, the Committee would look back over the developments over the past 10 years. The Committee noted with interest the adoption of the protection against discrimination act in 2016; the explicit prohibition of incitement to discrimination, including racist and hate-inciting conduct; the establishment of the Advocate of the Principle of Equality; and the adoption of the act amending the human rights Ombudsman act, which extended the mandate and legal powers of the Ombudsman and led to the accreditation of the Ombudsman with "A" status under the Paris Principles.

How did the State assess whether existing legislation fully reflected the scope of obligations under the Convention, particularly regarding indirect discrimination and structural inequalities? Had there been any reviews of the protection against discrimination act? The State party had not adopted a national strategy on preventing discrimination; was one being considered? What mechanisms were in place to ensure that sectoral policies were systematically reviewed for compliance with Convention standards?

How were the mandates of the Office for National Minorities and the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants coordinated? Were these institutions provided with sufficient financial and human resources? Were there examples of court cases in which the provisions of the Convention were directly invoked? What mandatory or continuous training programmes were in place for judges, prosecutors and lawyers regarding the Convention and anti-discrimination standards? There was reportedly a lack of training for officials on these standards; was such training available?

The State party afforded special rights to Italian, Hungarian and Roma communities. How did it avoid excluding other ethnic groups not formally recognised as minorities? There was currently no available data on the population of Slovenia disaggregated by ethnicity. The last time that such data was collected was in 2002. Why was the State party unwilling to collect data on ethnicity based on self-identification? Could the delegation clarify the progress that had been made by the inter-ministerial working group on disaggregated data since 2019? How did the State plan to overcome current limitations to systematically monitoring socio-economic inequalities and structural discrimination?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the Convention was included in Slovenia's legal order, so when the Constitutional Court dealt with cases related to racial discrimination, it did not refer explicitly to the Convention but applied its principles. Any incitement to racial inequality and hatred was prohibited in the Constitution, which also prohibited discrimination and obliged equal treatment. The protection against discrimination act specifically mentioned the Convention.

The Inter-Ministerial Commission for Human Rights and the Ministerial Commission for the Roma worked on the elimination of racial discrimination. The State party was working with non-governmental organizations to address racial discrimination and provide support to victims.

In 2023, the Criminal Code was amended to stipulate that criminal offences that were based on the victim's nationality, race, religion, ethnicity, gender or colour were aggravating circumstances. A 2024 amendment to the criminal procedure act allowed for covert surveillance if there was justified suspicion of public incitement to hatred, violence and intolerance. The Government had adopted a comprehensive national strategy to combat antisemitism and was implementing it in coordination with relevant non-governmental organizations.

The Office for National Minorities was a government office that monitored implementation of legislation on constitutionally recognised minorities - Italian, Hungarian and Roma communities. The Office cooperated with non-governmental organizations and other organizations and was active in relevant parliamentary committees. It had developed the National Platform for Roma and was working to regulate the position in Slovenia. Italian, Hungarian and Roma minorities self-identified in election lists, which allowed the State to collect data on these groups.

The Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants was an independent office of the Government. It coordinated the activities of various Government entities and non-governmental organizations related to migrant issues. The Office had more than 100 employees and an annual budget of more than 57 million euros. Staff followed a code of ethics on protecting migrants' rights. It managed asylum centres where around 1,800 people were currently accommodated. It also contributed to drafting legislation and strategies that promoted the inclusion of migrants in society. The Office had earmarked more than five million euros for financing non-governmental organizations working for migrants. It empowered migrants to speak up about discrimination.

The Office for Youth developed and oversaw the implementation of the youth policy. It worked to prevent all forms of discrimination against youth, encouraging equality and respect for diversity. The Office co-financed various youth programmes that promoted intercultural dialogue and prevented discrimination. Last year, it published a report on the reasons for online discrimination and hate speech between and against young people.

Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, asked whether human rights and racial discrimination were addressed in police academy training programmes.

SHAIKHA AL-MISNAD, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur, asked what the concept of "national minority" referred to in Slovenia.

Another Committee Expert asked whether the State party's ministries were able to provide disaggregated data related to ethnicity.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that "national minorities" referred to the Roma and other autonomous communities that traditionally lived in certain areas of Slovenia.

Police officers were trained on human rights, ethics and integrity as part of their primary and ongoing training. Non-governmental organizations contributed to this training. Police were trained on identifying stereotypes and preventing discrimination. Judicial officers were also trained on intercultural dialogue and addressing hate speech and hate crimes, stereotypes and racial discrimination. Training did not directly address the Convention, however. There was coordination between each of these bodies on developing training on human rights.

Various ministries collected data on vulnerable groups and migrants to adapt their programmes and measures. This data was disaggregated by gender, age and nationality. Between 2020 and 2026, 139,000 foreigners entered into Slovenia, most of whom came from Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria and Bangladesh. Over this period, international protection had been provided to around 700 persons, mostly persons from Ukraine, Burundi, Afghanistan, Palestine and the Russian Federation. The State party had also issued many thousands of temporary and permanent residency permits to foreigners over this period.

The Ombudsperson had its own budget and was independent. Human and financial resources for the Ombudsperson had increased since 2020; it now had a budget of around five million euros and 59 employees.

In 2016, Slovenia adopted the protection against discrimination act, which systematically governed the prohibition of discrimination in all areas of social life and provided the possibility of compensation for victims of discrimination. Amendments to this act had since been adopted to strengthen procedures and related competencies. The act set up the Advocate for the Principle of Equality, which monitored anti-discrimination efforts.

The education system ensured that all children had access to high quality education. In 2025, the State party amended the primary school act, which governed data collection on Roma students while respecting privacy rights.

Questions by Committee Experts

SHAIKHA AL-MISNAD, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur, said the Committee noted the national programme for Roma (2021-2030) and special measures taken to improve the livelihoods of Roma, particularly measures covering education, employment, housing, healthcare and social inclusion. What progress had been made in the implementation of the national programme? What evaluation mechanisms were used to assess its effectiveness and impact? How did these measures benefit the Roma in practice?

The standard of living for Roma communities was significantly below national and regional averages. The life expectancy among Roma was reportedly 22 years lower than that of the general population; infant mortality was four times higher than the average; and some Roma communities continued to lack access to safe drinking water, electricity, sanitation and essential services such as healthcare, housing and education. What measures were being taken to address these disparities and what impact did they have? How did the State work to improve Roma people's access to basic services and utilities, including clean drinking water, electricity, sanitation and transport?

In its previous review of Slovenia, the Committee had recommended that the State party ensure that no discrimination existed between autochthonous and non- autochthonous Roma in the enjoyment of their rights under the Convention. Did the State party ensure that policies and programmes applied equally to all Roma, regardless of their status? What safeguards were in place to prevent indirect discrimination against Roma who did not fall within officially recognised minority categories?

How was the State party supporting access to basic infrastructure in Roma settlements? Could it provide statistical data on the proportion of Roma lacking adequate housing? Municipalities, which typically owned the land where Roma settlements were located, sometimes sold the land to private owners. What measures were being taken to improve legal security of tenure and to address the situation of Roma living in informal settlements? What legal safeguards existed to prevent forced evictions and what measures promoted access to adequate alternative housing? There were plans in some regions to build "protective walls" around industrial zones bordering Roma settlements to prevent potential evictions of Roma. How would the State ensure that this measure did not lead to further exclusion of the Roma community?

The Committee welcomed measures taken to improve access to education by Roma, including the provision of special assistance and support to schools with considerable numbers of Roma pupils. However, Roma children were disproportionately placed in classrooms for children with special needs, reportedly due to limited Slovenian language proficiency and other challenges. Roma students had strikingly low school completion rates - reportedly 21 per cent nationally and as low as 13 per cent in some regions. Could the delegation provide information on Roma children's enrolment rates in each level of education; school dropout and completion rates; and gender disparities in educational outcomes among Roma people and measures to address them. What progress had been made in implementing the national programme for language policy 2021-2025? How was access to mother-tongue education ensured for ethnic groups?

Forced and early marriage was prevalent among the Roma population. What was the impact of measures taken to prevent and address early and forced marriage, including within Roma communities? Could the State party provide data on prevalence, investigations, prosecutions and support services for victims?

What measures were being taken to ensure the effective participation of national and ethnic minorities in public and political life, in particular the Roma? What frameworks addressed barriers to representation of the Roma in Parliament?

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the emergency measures to ensure public safety act was introduced in 2025 after a person died after being beaten, with a suspect belonging to the Roma community. The law had been challenged by the Ombudsperson in February 2026. The law expanded police powers to enter into homes and conduct surveillance without prior judicial authorisation in so-called "security risk areas", and could be used to suspend or withdraw certain social benefits from individuals convicted of misdemeanours. This law had led to cases of people losing social assistance and of cars being confiscated. Had the Government noted problems with this law?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the national programme for the Roma for 2021-2030 was developed in cooperation with the Roma community and various ministries. The programme included 52 measures to support the Roma, including measures promoting access to health services, employment, housing, and cultural and political participation.

The Ministry of Education was working to include Roma children in preschool education. Some kindergartens had been established in Roma settlements, and municipalities had organised preschool programmes that were free of charge to support their participation. Specialised "Roma assistants" were in place in schools, and Roma children were provided with supplementary Slovenian and Romani language lessons in schools, which helped improve their performance.

In 2025, there were over 2,000 unemployed Roma in the State. Since 2024, the State party had been implementing 14 social activation projects that promoted labour inclusion of the Roma and aimed to improve their skills. Six of these projects targeted women. In one project, Roma persons were included in public works, receiving higher compensation and longer contracts than other persons. A manual for job seekers had been developed that offered guidance for these persons on what to do when they faced discrimination.

The Ministry of Health had organised workshops and training on health in 12 Roma communities, which helped to encourage cooperation between the health sector and the Roma. The Ministry was calling for co-financing of projects promoting the health of the Roma community.

All ethnic communities in Slovenia had the right to exercise their culture. The State did not differentiate between autochthonous and non-autochthonous Roma. Its projects promoting culture had been financed in recent years with more than half a million euros. There was now guaranteed financing for media programmes for the Roma in the national broadcasting system. Six Roma had been trained to work in the media through a State project. The State party also celebrated a "Roma Month", in which various Roma cultural activities were conducted. In 2024, a law on the exercise of culture in the former Yugoslavia had been adopted.

The State had set up a national platform for Roma, which brought together representatives from ministries and members of the Roma community, and a special task force on the prevention of early and forced marriages.

Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

SHAIKHA AL-MISNAD, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur, said the State party had conducted many activities to change the situation of the Roma. However, it needed to improve its data collection on the Roma to better measure the impact of these activities.

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, asked about the number of Roma affected by the emergency measures to ensure public safety act and the "security risk areas" that it identified.

One Committee Expert welcomed the increase in the staff and budget of the Ombudsperson. Did this institution submit a report to the State party in preparation for the dialogue?

Other Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on measures to implement the Committee's general recommendation on access to health services related to the Roma population and other ethnic minorities; the representation of national minorities in political and judicial spheres and in school textbooks; oversight bodies monitoring online discrimination; laws governing the activities of civil society; and whether 2025 amendments to the primary school law that allowed for the exclusion of children on the basis of their behaviour disproportionately impacted Roma children.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the 2025 amendments to the primary school act aimed to support the inclusion of Roma pupils in the education system as early as possible; they did not intend to exclude these children from education. Roma girls were more successful than Roma boys in education and stayed in the education system for longer. In 2025, measures were implemented to decrease the dropout rate and address non-attendance in schools. The State party was participating in a project led by the Council of Europe on the inclusion of Roma children in multilingual education.

Life expectancies for the Roma were 48 for men and 63 for women, which were on average 20 years lower than for the general population. Infant mortality was seven times higher for the Roma community. The Roma community had the highest share of hospitalisations due to lung diseases. Drug use was nine per cent higher for the Roma population, and Roma women gave birth on average five years earlier than other women.

The event described by the Rapporteur was only one of the reasons for the enactment of the emergency measures to ensure public safety act. Many Slovenians believed that security conditions in the country had been deteriorating prior to the introduction of the act, which aimed to improve public security. The act applied to everyone in a uniform manner and did not target a specific community. It included the principle of proportionality; targeted measures could only be used in areas where there was a higher security risk and when there was a need to protect the lives and property of people. Confiscation of cars could only be carried out in "security risk areas". The Ski Jump World Championship that would be held next year in Slovenia would be designated as a "security risk area", as many persons would be present in a small area of the State during the event.

The police service was the most supervised body in Slovenia. All police officers had body cameras, and the Ministry of Interior, Parliament and the public oversaw police activities.

Questions by Committee Experts

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said that the Committee had noted developments in Slovenia's legal system related to hate speech and hate crime. It was a good that in 2023, Slovenia amended its Criminal Code to introduce harsher penalties for crimes motivated by racial and other prejudices. Also, in July 2019, in a case concerning hostile content against the Roma published by a radio station, the Supreme Court overturned an acquittal by an appeals court and decided that hate speech under the Criminal Code did not require a threat to public order. Had this interpretation led to an increase in convictions for hate speech and hate crimes?

The State party had recently implemented the media act, which introduced sanctions for incitement to violence or hatred. However, there were issues in the practical application of this act - there had been a sharp decrease in convictions for hate speech and hate crimes in 2023 and 2024. Why had this occurred? How did the State evaluate the impact of publicly funded media programmes promoting tolerance? The Spletno oko [Web Eye] platform was formerly used to report hate speech but was now mainly used for facilitated reporting of child abuse. Why was this? What binding obligations and enforcement mechanisms ensured that online hate speech was promptly removed and effectively prosecuted?

What measures were taken to ensure that law enforcement and other Government officials did not engage in racial discrimination? What safeguards existed to ensure that all complaints were effectively investigated, including those involving minority groups such as Roma? What was the procedure for submitting complaints?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the Ombudsperson did not participate in the preparation of the State party's report.

The Ministry for Information was financing the Centre for a Safer Internet, which was operated by several non-governmental organizations. It provided key services such as awareness raising campaigns on the safe use of internet technologies; a hotline and online consultation service; and the Web Eye platform, which had recently been relaunched. The platform was used for reporting child sexual abuse and collecting information on racist content.

The Criminal Code did not address hate speech specifically but dealt with it under the crime of incitement to hatred. From 2019 to 2025, 292 criminal complaints were received of this crime, with eight convictions reached and two acquittals. However, Prosecutors' Offices had, as of September 2025, been advised to investigate hate speech as a hate crime rather than as an incitement to hatred. Minor offences that did not qualify as criminal acts were sanctioned with pecuniary fines.

Police officers focused on the prevention of hate crimes and hate speech, raising community awareness of unacceptable activities. They cooperated with schools, social work centres, and healthcare institutions on campaigns to tackle hate speech. Training for police officers paid special attention to protection of vulnerable groups. Roma police officers were an important bridge between the Roma and the rest of the population. Police officers who worked in Roma communities were taught Romani language.

The Strategic Council for Combatting Hate Speech, established on an initiative by the Prime Minister, worked with all ministries to tackle hate speech. The Council investigated complaints of hate speech independently and called for harmful content to be removed. Slovenia had made substantial changes to policies and laws on hate speech. Under the audiovisual services act, online platforms such as YouTube were defined as "media" and required to be accountable for preventing the dissemination of hate speech. Self-regulatory mechanisms for journalists had been established to prevent hate speech in the media. The Government also conducted workshops for youth to promote inclusive and respectful practices.

Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, called for more information on the national strategy on combatting antisemitism and on the activities of the Council that monitored the media. He cited a 2025 case in which an unidentified person sprayed a Black child in the face with tear gas; another 2025 case involving an attack on an Indian student by a group of young individuals; and a case in March 2026 of coordinated attacks against migrant workers and international workers, including persons who were not of European origin. What follow-up was undertaken for these cases?

FAITH DIKELEDI PANSY TLAKULA, Committee Expert and Follow-Up Rapporteur, said that the concluding observations adopted after the previous report called on the State party to provide a follow-up report on measures taken to implement the Committee's recommendations within one year. It was disappointing that the State party had not submitted this report. The concluding observations called on the State party to take measures to support the education of Roma children and to adopt a code of conduct for members of Parliament to combat hate speech and hate crime. Was this code adopted and what impact had it had? Could the delegation provide statistics on the dropout rate of Roma girls?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the national strategy on combatting antisemitism was developed in coordination with several representative organizations of the Jewish community. It aimed to combat hatred against Jewish people and preserve the memory of Jewish culture in Slovenia. Slovenia did not believe that criticism of Israel was a form of antisemitism.

A code of conduct was introduced for members of Parliament in 2020. It required that members acted in a non-discriminatory manner and that their dialogue was democratic. Parliament was self-regulated, and regulations took into consideration freedom of expression. The Parliament's Chairperson issued warnings to members when they breeched the code of conduct and stopped their interventions.

The Ministry of Education had developed a campaign for training teachers on the safe use of internet content. There were plans to train 20,000 teachers in this field within the next three years.

For the cases mentioned by the Rapporteur, criminal complaints had been submitted to courts and investigations were underway. Medical assistance was provided to victims as required.

Questions by Committee Experts

SHAIKHA AL-MISNAD, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur, said free education sometimes came with hidden costs that were barriers for poor communities, such as schoolbook and uniform costs. How was the State party addressing these costs to support access to education for the Roma?

The Committee commended the State party's efforts to protect the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. What recent developments had been made in the legislative and policy framework governing migration and asylum? Was a human rights-based approach integrated into migration governance in law and practice? There were delays and backlogs in assessing asylum requests caused by the recent increase in the number of applications. One person had needed to wait five years to hear whether his asylum claim was accepted. What measures were being taken to reduce delays and ensure timely processing of claims?

The Committee noted reports indicating the practice of immigration detention and that asylum reception centres were overcrowded, with concerns related to poor living conditions, including inadequate hygiene, poor health standards, safety risks, and insufficient accommodation for children and families, as well as limited access to medical and educational services. How was the State working to improve the living conditions of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers? What integration policies and programmes were in place to ensure access to education, employment, healthcare, housing and social services for migrants? Could data be provided on the provision of language classes and other training programmes?

What measures were in place to protect the rights of asylum seeking and refugee children, including their right to access education and healthcare? How did the State ensure care and protection for unaccompanied minors? What measures existed to facilitate family reunification? What was the legal framework regarding access to citizenship for children born in Slovenia under international protection? Could the State party provide data on investigations into trafficking cases, prosecutions and support for trafficking victims?

The Committee welcomed the adoption in 2010 of the act regulating the permanent residency status of all citizens of the former Yugoslavia who had been removed from the Slovenian registry of permanent residents in 1992 - persons referred to as "the erased". In its previous review, the Committee had expressed concern that a significant number of eligible persons who did not apply for permanent residency had been excluded from the effects of the provisions of this act, including children born to "erased" persons outside State territory. Only a limited number of "erased" persons had benefited from compensation for damages. The Committee welcomed, however, the official apology by the President of Slovenia in 2022.

People whose status was not restored continued to live precariously and on the margins of society. Could the State party provide updated data on the number of "erased" persons who had regularised their legal status? How was it supporting "erased" persons residing abroad who were unable to apply within the original three-year period? What was the status of children born abroad to "erased" persons with respect to nationality? Could data be provided on persons who had received compensation under the act? What forms of reparations beyond financial compensation had been provided?

What human rights education measures had been integrated into school curricula and teacher training programmes? How did these measures address racism, xenophobia and stereotypes, including against Roma, migrants and refugees? What measures were being taken to promote intercultural dialogue and social cohesion, and to foster respect for cultural diversity among the public? How did the State party assess the impact of awareness raising campaigns on hate speech and discrimination?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the migration policy in Slovenia was based on principles of solidarity, equality and cooperation and was fully aligned with the State's international obligations. The State party had amended legislation to expand access to the labour market for beneficiaries of international protection. A new act was being developed to regulate the identification of vulnerability, free-of-charge legal representation, and independent advisory mechanisms for migrants. The act on foreigners set forth conditions for the entry, exit and residence of foreigners in Slovenia. The act had been amended several times in recent years to shorten procedures for gaining residence permits and expand access to the labour market for foreigners. In April 2025, the Constitutional Court annulled a provision of the foreigners act that it decided did not provide access to fair and effective procedures.

In 2023, the capacities of accommodation facilities for asylum seekers were increased; they were currently at 60 per cent capacity. There were currently 22 children in accommodation facilities, which had a capacity for 70 children. Persons seeking international protection were included in the education system. The State provided these persons with textbooks and compensated their transport costs. Asylum seekers had access to medical services and could be accompanied by a mediator in health facilities. They also had access to monetary support for housing and accommodation. Last year, the State opened an information centre for foreigners, which informed them of their rights and how to exercise them.

Asylum applications were usually processed within a reasonable period, and extensions were rare. The first stage of processing lasted 42 days. Slovenia was a transit country for asylum seekers, so around 67 per cent of persons who lodged applications for international protection left the country before their application was processed. The State party provided a family reunification regime, which applied to persons with subsidiary protection and special status under the foreigners' act.

In 2025, the State party identified 26 potential victims of trafficking from 13 countries. One investigation was carried out related to trafficking in 2025, and two persons were sentenced to prison for trafficking offences. A special manual had been developed to guide officials in identifying victims of trafficking. A network of practitioners who provided support to victims of trafficking was being developed. Victims of trafficking in persons were granted residence permits.

By the end of 2025, 13,100 "erased" persons had regularised their status. All these persons had the right to monetary compensation. Around 27 million euros had been allocated to compensation for this group. A monument had been established in honour of the "erased" in 2023. Currently, the European Court of Human Rights was hearing a case in which Slovenia was accused of not affording "erased" persons with enough time to regularise their status. The State party would respect the Court's ruling.

School uniforms were not obligatory in Slovenia. The State provided free-of-charge textbooks, materials and assistance through dedicated funds.

Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

SHAIKHA AL-MISNAD, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur, cited a report which stated that the State's integration programmes for foreigners achieved only 50 per cent of their objectives. Could the delegation comment on this?

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the State party appeared to have implemented some of the Committee's recommendations related to the "erased", but there were challenges remaining. It was estimated that there were initially 25,000 such persons; how many were there currently? What problems were they facing and how was the Government addressing them? Were there people who did not wish to be registered?

Another Committee Expert asked questions on safeguards preventing statelessness, considering that the State required persons to revoke their citizenship of other countries to obtain Slovenian nationality; training for the border police on the Convention; and cases of abuse by border police against asylum seekers.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the State party had developed a project supporting the integration of foreign children who did not speak Slovenian. More than 70 preschools would be involved in the project, and new Slovenian language teacher posts would be opened. Slovenia did not currently conduct an official evaluation of the success rate of integration measures but intended to do so in future. New regulations on social assistance for foreigners had been developed. Some 34 persons with international protection acquired Slovenian citizenship last year, indicating that they had integrated well into Slovenian society.

In 2025, a legal basis for "crisis accommodation" and for care in aged care homes was developed for persons without legal status and "erased" persons. A strategy was being developed on homeless persons which also addressed "erased" persons.

Officers working in border areas needed to undergo additional training on policing those areas. The State party cooperated with Frontex and organised training for police officers across Europe on applying Schengen legislation. Threats had increased at the border due to the activities of terrorist organizations, including an increase in firearms coming into the State, which had led to the re-establishment of border inspections.

"Erased" persons had the opportunity to regularise their status between 2010 and 2013 thanks to the 2010 legislation. The State party had conducted awareness raising campaigns on the regularisation process; however, not all eligible persons had expressed an intent to register. Residence permits and nationality could be afforded to these persons under relevant legislation. Several meetings had been organised with organizations of "erased" persons and proposals had been made for solving specific cases.

Slovenia could not revoke the nationality of persons who did not have other nationalities.

Closing Remarks

FAITH DIKELEDI PANSY TLAKULA, Committee Expert and Follow-Up Rapporteur, said that the Committee would adopt concluding observations based on the dialogue. It expected the State party to submit a follow-up report on the implementation of the Committee's recommendations within one year.

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur, thanked the delegation for its preparedness and engagement in the substantive dialogue. He congratulated the State party on its impressive progress over the last 10 years. Legal protection against discrimination was strong in Slovenia. The dialogue had highlighted issues remaining to be addressed, however. He wished the State party all the best in its efforts to tackle racial discrimination.

BARBARA GORIČAN, Director General for Social Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of Slovenia and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for its rigorous scrutiny, insightful questions and constructive comments. Slovenia remained fully committed to the implementation of the Convention. The delegation had presented efforts to strengthen the national human rights institution, improve the social inclusion of the Roma, protect the cultural rights of minorities, and decisively combat hate speech. Laws and strategies were only a foundation. The true measure of success lay in their implementation on the ground. The State party would not shy away from the issues remaining to be addressed. It would study the Committee's concluding observations carefully, and translate and widely disseminate them among national authorities. They would be used as a strategic tool to shape future policies.

GÜN KUT, Committee Chair, thanked the delegation for the frank and constructive dialogue, which would guide the Committee's work in developing concluding observations.

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