The Integration of Immigrants into the Social Security System in Slovenia: Analysis of Statistical Indicators, Policies, Public Opinion, and Media Reporting

In theory, successful integration assumes equal rights and equitable inclusion of all members of society in all spheres of social life. In practice, however, there is a tendency to exclude immigrants from the social security system or to limit their rights. In defining the research problem, we focus on the situation in Slovenia at the intersection of four areas: immigration, the welfare state, and multiculturalism and integration policies.

The research aims to address the question of the position of immigrants in Slovenia regarding social security. This question will be explored from various perspectives:

• from the perspective of legislation and policies (the formal legal position),
• from the perspective of the actual position of immigrants in terms of social transfers (the number of recipients, types, and amounts of social transfers), and
• from the perspective of public attitudes toward the inclusion of immigrants in the social security system.

The main focus in examining public attitudes toward multiculturalism policies, integration policies, and the inclusion of immigrants in the social security system will be on identifying the factors that influence the formation of opinions/attitudes of Slovenia’s population. Understanding these factors will provide a basis for addressing and adjusting elements that could guide and reshape public attitudes, thereby contributing to the creation of more supportive conditions for the successful integration of immigrants and the maintenance of a solidaristic and cohesive society.

The project addresses immigrant integration, welfare state policies, and media reporting, while also positioning itself within the concepts of nationalism and social inclusion/exclusion—all longstanding areas of work for the MI research group and its activist initiatives.

Project team: Marko Ribać, research teams at the INV (project lead: Romana Bešter) and the Faculty of Arts (FF).