Centre for Civic Education (CCE) recalls that the 24 July 2013 is the deadline for all the “erased” inhabitants of Slovenia, those citizens who were deprived of the right of permanent residence in 1992, to apply for restoration of rights and CCE joins the action of civil society organizations from Slovenia to invite all the “erased” to seize the opportunity of submitting requirements to the final deadline.
As estimated, around 26 000 non Slovenians from former Yugoslav republics lost the right to work, social protection and assistance, as well as the ability to have any legal status by being removed from the register of permanent residence on 26 February in 1992 and losing the personal documents by such act.
Last year, the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled that “erased persons”, both those that are living and those who are no longer in Slovenia, have the right to seek and obtain compensation from Slovenia for the injustice they suffered. However, the compensation on the basis of the judgments of the court in Strasbourg is possible only if they already have exhausted all effective remedy in Slovenia- those from the law of the “erased” persons, which shall expire on 24 July 2013.
It is therefore very important that all those, who have lost their right to permanent residence in Slovenia and want to regain lost status, send an official request by 24 July 2013 to administrative unit in Slovenia where a person had a residence or one in which would like to have it in the future (the necessary documentation to initiate proceedings can be later amended). This step is necessary so that later, based on the initiated administrative proceedings (or via court) all interested parties could seek compensation from Slovenia, which according to the decision of the European Court for Human Rights, belongs only to those “erased’ persons, that have legally tried to regain their status.
More information can be found on the website www.mirovni-institut.si/izbrisani of the Peace Institute in Ljubljana, as well as in the brochure Ministry of Interior of Slovenia http://www.mnz.gov.si/fileadmin/mnz.gov.si/pageuploads/SOJ/izbrisani/Brosura_drugi_jeziki/BROSURA_-_SRBSKA.pdf
Contact details of colleagues from civil society organisations in Slovenia: Igor Mekina, Civic link, Ljubljana Slovenia, igor.mekina@siol.net; Maja Ladić and Katarina Vučko, Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Metelkova 6.1000 – SI +38612347733, maja.ladic@peace-institut.si and katarina.vucko@peace-institut.si, Aleksandar Todorovic, member of the presidency of Civil Initiative for Erased in Slovenia (CIIA),todor.novak@gmail.com.
Mirela Rebronja, Programme coordinator