Employment Service assistant director Metka Barbo Skerbinc told the press on Tuesday that in line with the welfare agreement, effective as of last Friday, Bosnian workers with temporary residence permits who became unemployed before 2 September have until 3 October to apply for welfare benefits.

A one-month deadline will be in place for workers who become unemployment after this date, while workers who have returned to Bosnia after being laid off will also have 30 days to file for welfare after they return to Slovenia and become temporary residents.

The unemployment benefits scheme involves inclusion into compulsory social insurance plans - pension and disability insurance, health insurance, parental insurance and unemployment insurance.

According to Employment Service data, there are presently 1,273 Bosnian workers in Slovenia with frozen entitlement to financial compensation. Most of them were employed in the construction sector.

Being granted the same rights as Slovenian citizens, they will be entitled to monthly financial support, provided they will actively seek employment. Their entitlement will be terminated in case they find employment or retire.

Zoran Kotolenko of the Labour, Family and Social Affairs Ministry explained the ratification of the amended bilateral agreement came two years after the first initiative for changes. While Slovenia ratified it "fairly quickly", the Bosnian side ratified it last Friday.

"We are also preparing a similar agreement with Macedonia," Kotolenko added, explaining that the current figure for Macedonians is much smaller, standing at 88. A bilateral social security agreement with Montenegro is also in the pipeline.