Into a new life with “old friends”: lawyers help a family of IDPs adapt to a new place

Publication date: September 6, 2023

A full-scale war forced Volodymyr and Iryna Dotsenko* to move to Dnipro. They were able to get out of their native Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk oblast) only on the second attempt. They left through russia and the Baltic countries. But they knew for sure that they wanted to go to Dnipro, because they always liked this city, and it is located not far from their native Luhansk oblast.

Before the war, Volodymyr worked as a locksmith, Iryna took care of their two-year-old son and was preparing to become a mother for the second time. But on February 24, 2022, everything changed. A full-scale war began. The confused couple decided to move to the Dnipro. But they did not know where and to whom to turn. However, they remembered that once in Sievierodonetsk they were supported by the NGO “Public Legal Aid Service”.

It should be mentioned that in April 2022 the organization relocated to Pavlograd (Dnipro oblast) and now helps residents of territorial communities of the Dnipro oblast.

• Before the war, we provided legal and other socially important assistance to this young family several times. Therefore, first of all, Volodymyr and Iryna called our organization to find out if we can help them this time, – says Oleksii Kormiletskyi, a lawyer of the organization.

The “Public Legal Aid Service” helped the Dotsenko’s find the best route from Sievierodonetsk, and helped them find an apartment for rent. After their arrival, they also got help with the registration of the IDP status, thanks to which the family received payments from the state.

• The family also faced a legal problem. In particular, the couple lost their child’s birth certificate. After the consultations we provided, this document was restored, the lawyer explains.

Oleksii adds that today Volodymyr and Iryna want to continue to integrate into the life of the host community. The man decided to study and get a new specialty, while the woman continued to raise their children.    

*Name has been changed for ethical reasons.

The material was created with the support of the international charity platform GlobalGiving and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The content of the publication is solely the responsibility of the Legal Development Network.

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