Ljubljana, 15 May (STA) - Interior and Public Administration Minister Gregor Virant paying a visit to Human Rights Ombudsman Vlasta Nussdorfer to debate a number of legislative initiatives. He said on Wednesday, 15. 5. 2013, the draft bill paving the way for compensations to be paid to the "erased" citizens was ready and would be sent to civil society organisations for comments next week.

Speaking to the press after a meeting with Human Rights Ombudsman Vlasta Nussdorfer, Virant announced that compensation would be given to those who had acquired a residence permit or Slovenian citizenship following the 1992 erasure from the registry, thus having invested an effort in getting their status settled.

The estimated 8,000 people are to be eligible to a lump sum compensation, however, the minister did not wish to go into details and said the exact amount had also not yet been set.

He said the preparation of the law on the compensation, which was also demanded by the European Court of Human Rights, was speeded up as much as possible. After comments from the civil society, the draft bill will be harmonised among ministries and sent into legislative procedure, he added.

The ombudsman said she was happy that progress had been made, since she had been receiving a number of questions on the issue.