LJUBLJANA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Four Syrian families with 21 members arrived in Maribor, the second largest city of Slovenia to settle down on Tuesday as the first group of refugees to be resettled from Turkey.
According to the Slovenian Press Agency STA, one of the families will be settled at the Maribor integration house, and the other three in apartments operated by the the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants.
They all enjoy international protection and over the next few months they will need to get prepared for independent life in Slovenia, the STA report said quoting the office.
They will be assisted by means of a program helping them to acquire basic Slovenian language skills, obtain the required documents and learn practically about everyday life in Slovenia.
Once they have undergone this orientation programme, they will be involved in programmes helping them to get included in Slovenian society, said the STA.
The children will be enrolled in schools or kindergartens, while the adults, who are educated, have expressed a wish to find a job as soon as possible, so they will get an employment counsellor.
Persons enjoying international protection have a right to live in Slovenia and are eligible for a private accommodation allowance, health and social care, a job, education, integration assistance and for being told about their rights and duties, according to the country's law.
The group who arrived in Slovenia on Tuesday is the first to come under an EU resettlement scheme under the sponsorship of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, where refugees are transferred from third countries.
The Slovenian government adopted a plan for Slovenia to accept 20 persons from third countries in March 2016, following up in August 2016 with a decision to accept 40 Syrians from Turkey.
With 10,000 euros (11,639 U.S. dollars) for each resettled refugee from EU funds, Slovenia has pledged not only to resettle the refugees but also to help them integrate into Slovenian society, according to an earlier report by the Slovenian daily Delo (labor).
