The town of Velenje became interesting for immigrants from the former Yugoslav republics in the 1970s because of its coal mine. Due to the increased need for labour, immigration to this area rose and has resulted in ethnically heterogeneous population. It is important that the immigrants feel accepted in the new environment by the majority society and that they are not discriminated against. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In my thesis, I researched the attitude of people of Velenje toward immigrants. I carried out a survey to find out how the majority society accepts immigrants. In the theoretical part, I first explained the related concepts and presented the immigration timeline in Slovenia and in the Municipality of Velenje. The research showed that the people of Velenje have a negative attitude toward immigrants. The respondents think that immigrants do not bring positive elements into society and that tension in society is increased because of them. In their opinion, immigrants are the reason for increased crime rate. Furthermore, they believe that immigrants represent competition, since they are willing to work for lower pay and are therefore lowering the labour price. Immigrants should adapt to the new environment as they enter it. Respondents consider the knowledge of the Slovene language and employment to be the most important factors for the successful integration of immigrants into the majority society. Immigrants from economically developed western countries are much more desired in the Municipality of Velenje than immigrants from economically less developed countries of the former Yugoslav republics. People of Velenje have no reservations about making friends with immigrants, however, their attitude changes when it comes to relationships. Immigrants are still not treated in the same way as other residents in all areas of life.
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