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Description
The project is a response to the migration crisis in Poland. We support foreigners staying in open centres in the Lublin Region who need legal information and support in contacts with Polish institutions. We provide them with counselling and legal information by phone and email in our headquarters and during weekly duty hours in the centres for foreigners in the Lublin Province in four localities: Łuków, Biała Podlaska, Bezwola and Kolonia Horbów. The counselling is provided by a lawyer who is supported by interpreters of Dari/Farsi, Arabic, Russian and English, i.e. languages spoken by refugees. We have set up a helpline for foreigners, which is open 4 hours a day from Monday to Friday. We produce information materials (posters and leaflets) on the proceedings conducted with regard to foreigners who apply for international protection in the territory of the Republic of Poland. Every week we publish in our social media the most important information on the procedure of applying for and receiving international protection in the Republic of Poland as well as information on counselling activities.
Summary of project results
The project was intended to help increase the legal awareness of refugees, increase the sense of security of refugees in a particularly difficult migration situation, and ensure equal opportunities for refugees.
Advice and legal information were provided by telephone and e-mail at the IPP headquarters and during duties in centers for foreigners.
In each of the 4 centers for foreigners located in the Lublin region, lawyer duties were held on average twice a month. The lawyer visited foreigners in centers in Łuków, Bezwola, Biała Podlaska and Kol. Horbów. A total of 48 legal visits were carried out during the project implementation period. The lawyer was supported by a team of volunteers (other lawyers specializing in refugee law and migration law, involved in the activities of the Foundation''s Refugee Program) who supported the lawyer several times in going on duty to a center for foreigners. With the support of translators, legal information and legal advice were provided by telephone and e-mail. The hotline for foreigners was open every day for 4 hours.
In order to disseminate information among foreigners about the possibility of using the services, information materials (posters and leaflets) were printed in languages understandable to foreigners. At the same time, information about the project was posted on IPP''s social media once a week, also promoting consulting activities. Depending on the needs, the translators received translation orders into the most needed languages, helping in contacts with foreigners and enabling efficient communication with people who were applying for entry and stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland (also explaining to them individual stages of the refugee procedure).
301 people and many of their family members benefited from the support of IPP lawyers. This included 200 telephone and 10 e-mail advice and consultations, and 91 people obtained the necessary information during a personal meeting with a lawyer.
Products:
- 301 refugees received information and legal advice;
- 48 lawyer shifts were carried out in centers located in the Lublin region.
The project results are:
- improving the legal awareness of 301 refugees provided with information and legal advice on their rights and obligations, administrative proceedings and social and living issues;
- increasing the sense of security of 301 refugees in a particularly difficult migration situation;
- ensuring 301 refugees equal opportunities and awareness in the host society.
The actual scale of the project''s results may be several times higher, because the support provided under the project is also used by family members of beneficiaries registered in the repertory.