When Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it stripped over 25,000 people—mostly ethnic minorities—of citizenship, effectively erasing them from national records. Known as the Izbrisani (“The Erased”), they were rendered stateless, unable to work, access healthcare, marry, own property, or vote. Many endured decades of poverty, social exclusion, and long-term health issues.

The Izbrisani remained without legal status for over 20 years until a landmark 2012 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. A year later, I traveled through Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, and a German refugee asylum to photograph and interview Izbrisani as with funding from a National Geographic Expedition Grant and a Fulbright Scholarship. This became the largest documentary photography project ever undertaken on what remains Slovenia’s most significant modern human rights violation.

Excerpts of the project were published in National Geographic’s Explorers Blog and Huff Post.