POLAND
The legal representative or guardian for an unaccompanied minor is first established after an unaccompanied minor arrives in Poland. Until 2012, the accommodation for unaccompanied minors was centrally organized in Warsaw. This is currently not the case anymore. Unaccompanied minors are accommodated spread around Poland. This makes it difficult for a guardian in another European Member State to get in touch with the relevant (future) guardian or social service before a possible transfer of an unaccompanied minor to Poland. An extra complicating factor is the fact that some juvenile judges in Poland consider that the appointment of guardianship will imply a violation of the parental rights of the parents of an unaccompanied minor in case they are still alive. A second complicating factor is the fact that not every unaccompanied minor applies for asylum in Poland and that as a consequence a representative is not always appointed.
It is advised to a guardian to contact the first competent authority that would be in contact with an unaccompanied minor. This is the Police Border Guard. They are also responsible for determining to which municipality or place an unaccompanied minor is brought after the minor arrives in Poland. It is worthwhile to approach the Border Guard in order to find out in advance with whom a guardian could seek contact to assess the situation of an unaccompanied minor or to transfer relevant information to. According to the Office of Foreigners, unit Dublin, they could also be approached in advance about relevant information concerning an unaccompanied minor.
The relevant contact details are:
Polish Border Guard Headquarters
Aliens Department
Niepodległości Avenue 100
02-514 Warsaw
Tel.: 0048.225004937
Fax: 0048.225004747
Email: dublin@strazgraniczna.pl
Office for Foreigners (unit Dublin)
Koszykowa St. 16
Warsaw
Contact person: malgorzata.stelmaszewska@udsc.gov.pl
Relevant NGOs that act as legal representatives:
Association for Legal Intervention
(Polish: Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej)
Ul. Siedmiogrodzka 5/51
01-204 Warsaw
Tel.: 0048.226215165
Email: interwencja@interwencjaprawna.pl
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
(In Polish: Helsinka Fundacja Praw Czlowieka)
Zgoda 11 Street
00-018 Warsaw
Tel.: 0048.225564440
Fax: 0048.225564450
Email: hfhr@hfhrpol.waw.pl