THE LEGAL TEAM
Opora’s Legal team aims to provide legal support to displaced persons from Ukraine. Thanks to our team of Ukrainian and Dutch lawyers or law students, we are able to provide either direct legal assistance, or to refer you to the most suitable assistance provider. We are here for you.
How we can help
Our team is always growing, and our knowledge and expertise depends on our valuable team members. However to understand how we can help you more concretely, here is a list of direct legal assistance we have provided in the past, according to the type of law:
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Migration Law
Receiving temporary protection in the Netherlands, changing country of temporary protection (for displaced persons from Ukraine residing outside the Netherlands and inside).
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Family Law
Divorce, separation, a marriage or your children.
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Housing Law
Your housing rights, but also if you have a complaint while living in a Municipal shelter or in a private residence.
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Civil Law
Obtaining a driver's licence in the Netherlands, allowances or social payments.
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Administrative and Criminal
Fines, accidents, harassment and bullying at school.
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Labour Law
Opening a ZZP status, your employment contract, or employment rights in general.
If your legal issue is not present within this list, and you do not know who to turn to, please do not hesitate to contact us, as although we can not provide direct help, we will try our best to find the most suited organisation, or lawyer for you.
Projects
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Fighting Labour Exploitation x Fair Work
Since March 2023 we have been co-leading a project alongside our partner Fair Work to help fight labour exploitation within the community of displaced persons from Ukraine in the Netherlands.
To prevent cases of Labour Exploitation, we have created workshops and lectures, as well as a communication strategy to raise awareness.
To respond to cases, we have divided the work with Fair Work, agreeing that Opora will help cases of general employment rights, questions concerning contracts and so on, while Fair Work is responsible for providing direct help when a case of labour exploitation is confirmed.
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Reporting Accommodation Complaints
In November 2022, after we found that 25% of displaced persons from Ukraine were afraid to raise complaints by fear of being evicted from their reception facility, Opora opened a Reporting Line. Displaced persons from Ukraine have since raised issues and complaints which overwhelmingly concern problems related to living in GOs, and to the management of such facilities.
Our small team of volunteers have developed a strategy to help displaced persons from Ukraine access formal complaint procedures within their municipality or through an ombudsman. In crisis situations we have directly intervened by contacting responsible stakeholders. We are also able to scale up and advocate directly with the Ministry of Justice and Security, in order to help prevent, and contribute to supporting policymakers as well as displaced people.
Our objective
We are hoping to develop a mediation project. Where trained mediators (Ukrainian lawyers who are trained to the Dutch Legal System of Mediation), can intervene directly, and on the ground to resolve dispute resolution.
If you would like to know more about our Mediation Project and are interested in collaborating or providing funds.
If you have questions or complaints, please fill out the form.
Our objective
EVENTS
Past Events
On October 22, 2023, the coordinator of the legal team of the NGO Opora Foundation Yevheniia Soloviova together with volunteer Olga Artemchuk held an informative session lecture on the topic: "Problems and risks in registering ZZP (self-employed person)in the Netherlands for Ukrainians under temporary protection".
(more information in Ukrainian)
Contact
If you would like to know more about our Mediation Project and are interested in collaborating or providing funds, please contact:
If you would like to know more about legal team , please contact: