This document outlines Amnesty International’s concerns in the context of the National Assembly of Slovenia plan to comprehensively rewrite the country’s International Protection Act (Zakon o mednarodni zaščiti); the draft, to be considered and potentially voted on at the third plenary hearing today would in its current form represent a significant step back from guaranteeing all asylum seekers the right to have their asylum application effectively determined. The proposal, introduced by the governing coalition, is aiming to reduce the arrival of asylum seekers to the country and limit their stay in Slovenia. In addition to widening the scope of the application of “safe country of origin” and “safe third country” notions, the amendments seek to introduce admissibility procedures at borders, increasing the risks of refoulement and exposing vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers to potentially inadequate reception conditions.
