Slovenian police handled 46,192 cases of irregular migration last year, a decrease of 24% from the year before (60,595). Syrian nationals accounted for a third of the cases.

The number of processed cases involving Syrians nearly quadrupled year-on-year to 15,060, as the number of Afghan nationals as the second largest group more than halved to 7,264.

Nationals of Turkey were the third largest group, their numbers increasing by 24% to 3,955, followed by Moroccans, whose numbers fell by 60% to 3,645.

There was also a notable decrease in cases involving Russian nationals, dropping to 677 from 3,642 in 2023, data released by the police show.

By the end of November 2024, the police handled 459 cases of human smuggling, up from 381 in the same period of 2023. Of the 507 smugglers apprehended, 497 were foreign nationals. Courts ordered detention for 468 of the smugglers.

A total of 44,383 migrants expressed an intention to seek asylum in Slovenia in 2024, which compares to 58,753 in the year before. However, most left the country shortly after.

The number of asylum applications filed fell from 7,261 to 5,634. 5,994 cases were resolved, with 184 approved, which compares to 129 in 2023.

Slovenia returned 176 migrants to foreign law enforcement authorities in 2024, down from 257 in 2023, with the number of those returned to Croatia down by more than half to 84.

The number of individuals returned to Slovenian police decreased from 377 to 286, the biggest drop recorded for Italy, from 96 to 11.

Asylum centres well below capacity

Illegal migration has declined since Slovenia reintroduced police controls at its borders with Croatia and Hungary in October 2023 to prevent terrorism, extremism and cross-border crime.

Due to the fall, coupled with a seasonal decrease in arrivals during winter, Slovenian asylum centres are currently at low capacity.

Moreover, facilities planned along the border with Croatia that triggered protests by locals last year have not been activated.

The Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants operates four facilities, the largest of which at the Ljubljana borough of Vič.

The office's director Katarina Štrukelj has recently told the Slovenian Press Agency the Vič centre accommodates 450 people at the moment, well below its capacity of 710.

The centre in Kotnikova Street in Ljubljana houses people who have officially applied for asylum, currently there are 81 there.

An additional 101 are accommodated at the centre in Logatec, southwest of Ljubljana, and some 30 unaccompanied minors are staying at a dedicated centre in Postojna.