What are leisure activities?

Leisure activities are activities done in your free time, not in school or at work. These activities can bring benefits to your general wellbeing. Leisure activities may also have a great positive impact on integration and help build up a social network – to meet new people and connect with them.

You have access to all leisure activities open to the public such as sports, creative activities (arts, music, cooking) and volunteering. Voluntary work means working for the benefit of others or for the common good, carried out by the individual by his/her free choice and without expectation of material benefits. If you are a volunteer, you work for free, but you have the possibility to be (stay) active, to improve your skills, boost your confidence, meet new people and help people in need. For more information about voluntary work in Slovenia, see webpage Prostovoljstvo.org (http://www.prostovoljstvo.org/).

In Slovenia, people are for the most part very active in their free time. Many people do sports: they go hiking, cycling, running or they play some team sport (football, basketball etc.). Often, they go to the cinema, theatre or concert or they just meet up with friends, talk, eat and drink together.

Where can I get information on different activities and organizations?

• Asylum seekers

If you are an asylum seeker, you can ask social workers in the Asylum centre about different organizations and possibilities to join different activities.

• Granted international protection

If you have been granted international protection, you have also been assigned an integration counsellor, who shall inform you on integration activities and possibilities of joining different activities.

What is the role of organizations and associations?

It is quite common to be a member of various associations (sports, cultural, music, voluntary etc.). Asylum seekers and refugees can freely participate in the activities of all public associations. If you are interested in joining some activities (sport, cultural) or other kind of club, you can find the association near you on the internet and contact them.

Sometimes a lot of courage is needed to join some association, but there are many benefits. Your active membership in an association can help you connect with the local community, improve your language and other social skills and encourage intercultural dialogue. The language barrier can sometimes be a problem, but you will learn fast when communicating with others. Sometimes, it is not necessary to know the language to become member, or knowing English is sufficient.

Some organizations and associations support migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. This associations offer various services:

• practical information on different matters (about your rights, how to apply for financial support, to find a job or a place to stay etc.)
• consultation on different issues
• advocacy
• translating
• language courses (Slovene, English)
• cultural orientation
• educational activities (workshops)
• free-time activities (recreational, sport, cultural, art)
• cultural mediation
• housing support
• job counselling
• volunteering experience

Here is a list of organizations and associations in Slovenia that execute social inclusion projects for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees:

• Institute for African Studies: https://african-studies.org/institute_en.html
• Slovene Philanthropy: http://www.filantropija.org/en
• Društvo Odnos: http://odnos.si/
• Društvo Up Jesenice: http://www.up-jesenice.org/en
• IOM – UN Migration Agency: http://www.slovenia.iom.int/
• Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants: http://www.uoim.gov.si/en/

As a newcomer in the country and community, you can benefit from getting in contact with other foreigners that have been living there for a while. These organizations can help you connect with people from your country.

Organizations that help people in need:

• Rdeči križ (Red Cross): https://www.rks.si/sl/About_Slovenian_Red_Cross/
• Karitas (Caritas): http://www.karitas.si/
• PIC Legal-Informational Centre for NGOs (legal advice): http://pic.si/about/

There are also several state institutions that help people in need:

• CSD – Social work centre (Center za socialno delo): https://infotujci.si/en/integration-into-slovenian-society/social-security/social-work-centres/
• Employment service of Slovenia (ZZS – Zavod za zaposlovanje): http://english.ess.gov.si/ (employment issues)

Q&A

Can migrants and refugees volunteer in Slovenia?

Yes, volunteering is highly recommended in order to stay active, to integrate into society, improve language skills, meet new people and help people in need.

Do all migrants have access to leisure activities?

Generally, all migrants have access to leisure activities. Depending on the institutions offering the activities, there are different conditions for participating. However, economic, logistic, or language barriers might impede actual participation.

Are there any language courses available?

If you want to feel comfortable in your host country, it is very important that you know the language. There are different Slovene language courses for foreigners, depending on your status. Some of them are free of charge, others are payable. Some of them are given by qualified professionals, others by volunteers. For more information, see chapter Language courses.