Since the very first days of the war, Żyglicka and Partners have been providing real help to the Ukrainians and Ukraine.
The law firm contributed to the activation of the humanitarian corridor on the Ukrainian border in Medyka, solving the problem of people from African countries living on the Polish border in Medyka, crossing the Ukrainian border by approx. 60 foreigners, including medicine students, providing humanitarian aid from the Maltese law firm, as well as providing permanent legal assistance to Ukrainian citizens in Poland and abroad by, among others, preparing documentation related to the stay of Ukrainians in Poland or current legal advice. The law firm provides free-of-charge telephone legal services for Ukrainians as part of the Attorneys for Ukraine campaign at the Bar Association in Katowice. In addition, the law firm conducted an information campaign on the rights of Ukrainians in connection with their crossing the border and military draft in cooperation with the Ukrainian Law Firm in Dnieper (Dnipro) in two languages, and currently cooperates with an attorney from Lviv, who fled the war, making her its consultant for Ukraine and Ukrainians, who provides assistance to her compatriots who speak only Ukrainian.
Currently, in cooperation with Roman Waszczuk, Business Spokesperson for Ukraine and the Small and Medium Enterprises Spokesperson, the Law Firm is developing a legal formula for the transfer of the private Medical University of Kiev to Poland in order to continue the current formula of studies by Ukrainian and foreign medicine students. The material assistance in the form of in-kind and financial assistance, as well as the support of Ukrainian children in the primary school No. 65 in Katowice, crowns the great commitment of the Law Firm to the Ukrainians and Ukraine affected by the war.
Assessment of the legal and factual needs of Ukrainians fleeing the war
In the first days of the war, on 25-27 February, the attorney of the Law Firm and the delegation went to the border in Medyka to bring humanitarian aid and to assess the most urgent legal and factual needs of Ukrainians crossing the border.
Humanitarian corridor
After talks with volunteers, border guards and another attorney who tried to cross the Ukrainian border in Medyka for several dozen hours in connection with the provision of legal assistance, we determined that it is necessary to urgently run a humanitarian corridor on the Ukrainian side, in front of the border, with help for people standing in line for 60 hours (and more) without basic food or cover.
To this end, in cooperation with the Supreme Bar Association and some of the Firm’s clients, as well as with other humanitarian organizations and people, it was possible to launch a corridor of humanitarian aid on the Ukrainian border near Medyka, through which the most needed assistance was arriving.
The problem of foreigners from African countries
On the spot, the problem of foreigners coming from Africa, who had not left the Polish border in Medyka for several days, was noticed. In connection with the noticed problem, we informed the UNHCR employee who undertook an urgent intervention about the observations of the situation, including irregularities. These people were transported to refugee centres, and then free, voluntary evacuation flights to their countries of origin were launched.
The problem of foreign students
In connection with obtaining information about irregularities related to the non-admission of foreign medicine students from Ivano-Frankivsk across the Ukrainian border, the attorney of the Law Firm contributed to the possibility of over 60 foreign citizens crossing the border in Medyka, including in particular the citizen of Algeria and Egypt. To this end, interventions have been made, inter alia, in the UNHCR and in two other humanitarian organizations.
No legal problems were identified at the border in Poland.
Cooperation with a law firm from Ukraine in order to provide legal information on Ukrainian law
As part of Ally Law, the Law Firm cooperated with the Law Firm https://dynasty.legal/en/team, which is its legal partner in Ukraine and developed legal information for Ukrainian citizens regarding their rights and obligations related to, among others, military draft or crossing the border. For this purpose, information graphics in Polish and Ukrainian were prepared.
Permanent legal advice to Ukrainians
The law firm provided permanent legal advice on matters related to leaving the territory of Ukraine and the situation of Ukrainians – both Poles wanting to help Ukrainians and Ukrainians with a family in the territory of the armed conflict. Attorney Beata Bieniek-Wiera and trainee attorney Dominika Bielecka are on call as part of the “Attorneys for Ukraine” project of the Bar Association in Katowice, during which they provide legal assistance pro bono. As part of the project, the list of attorneys was sent to the courts in the area of the Katowice appeal. As a result, the lawyers also assist in the preparation of applications for the appointment of a temporary guardian, which turned out to be the most urgent need in the face of the influx of Ukrainian children to Poland.
Pro bono legal assistance also includes answering questions from Ukrainian citizens and volunteers in social media offices such as Linkedin and Instagram, where we conducted an information campaign on the rights of Ukrainian citizens.
Foundation for Ukrainians
The law firm has prepared full documentation for the creation of the Foundation, which is to provide humanitarian aid to the Ukrainians. The aim of the Women of Ukraine Silesia Foundation is to provide assistance to Ukraine and the citizens of Ukraine. The foundation was also created by Ukrainian citizens.
Consultant for Ukraine and Ukrainians – attorney from Ukraine
Hanna Sadovska, an attorney from Lviv, has become our consultant for Ukrainians and Ukrainians. The attorney helps us to provide legal assistance to Ukrainian citizens, especially those who do not speak Polish. The attorney came under our wing at the beginning of the war and we became her guide in Poland. We help her to settle in our country, including in the entry on the list of foreign lawyers.
Material assistance
In-kind material assistance for Ukrainians was delivered to the border in Medyka and to the railway station in Przemyśl. In addition, the law firm provided funds for fundraising for Ukraine.
Assistance in the organisation of humanitarian aid provided by an associated Maltese law firm
The law firm helped to organise the delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance by lawyers from a law firm affiliated in Malta.
Transfer of activities of the Medical University of Kiev to Poland
Currently, in cooperation with the Business Spokesperson of Ukraine, Roman Waszczuk and the Small and Medium Business Spokesperson, the Law Firm (legal counsel Izabella Żyglicka) is developing a legal formula for the transfer of the private Medical University of Kiev to Poland in order to continue the current formula of study by Ukrainian and foreign medicine students. It is planned to transfer, among others, lecturers and students to the territory of the Republic of Poland and to continue studies in Ukrainian in the current Ukrainian core curriculum.