The Erased and MDG Implementation

Abstract

The Erased are a group of individuals who were taken off the register of permanent residents in the aftermath of Slovenia's independence in 1991. With this they faced total social exclusion. This article discusses how Erasure came to be and its consequences. The plight of those Erased who are without legal status even today is discussed with regard to issues concerning health and access to health services from which they are excluded through a combination of nationalist and neo-liberal policies. As such, they not only form a section of society that can be completely overlooked by the implementation strategies of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but can also be seen as indicative of some of the conditions that may also effect other vulnerable individuals and groups such as those emerging from various conflicts, precarious workers, migrants and ethnic minorities.