Original article (in Slovenian) was published on 20/3/2024; Author: David Bajec
The deputy group of the Left party published a video recording of a 13 February National Assembly plenary in such a way as to give the impression that State Secretary Igor Feketija was responding to claims made by MP Aleksander Reberšek, which was not the case.
The Left deputy group posted a video on Facebook on 27 February featuring statements by Aleksander Reberšek, an MP for New Slovenia (NSi), and Igor Feketija, state secretary at the Ministry of Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
The video came with the caption that Feketija gave Reberšek “a reality check: migrants benefit from social transfers to a lesser extent than Slovenian citizens”.
The MP and the state secretary were speaking at a National Assembly plenary held on 13 February. During the session, MPs and government representatives discussed an amendment to the Act on Employment, Self-employment and Work of Foreigners, an amendment to the Aliens Act, and an amendment the Act on the Promotion of Digital Inclusion.
According to the recording and the transcript of the session, Reberšek talked about the amendment to the Aliens Act, whereas Feketija spoke in the context of the debate on the amendment to the Act on Employment, Self-employment and Work of Foreigners. Feketija was not talking to Reberšek, he was responding to a claim by NSi deputy Janez Cigler Kralj that the share of foreigners in the labour market last May was at a record high of almost 16%.
The Ministry of Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities explained to Razkrinkavanje.si that the state secretary cized “data from the information system of the social work centres, which are true and have been relatively stable over the last three years” regarding the share of foreigners among the recipients of social transfers. He also cited data by the Employment Service.
They explained that there are currently 145,000 foreigners in Slovenia’s workforce. About 21,600 of them receive child benefits, and 4,000 receive cash social assistance. Approximately 1,400 foreigners living in Slovenia receive a care allowance.
We have informed the Left of our findings and will publish their response when we receive it. The claim by the Left deputy group that “Feketija gave Reberšek a reality check” by explaining to him that migrants benefit from social assistance to a lesser extent than Slovenian citizens is manipulative because the video has been edited and does not show Feketija’s retort to Reberšek.
