Project “Legal Aid and Counselling” is one of the projects of the Centre for Peace Osijek which has been conducted in Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem counties for the period of ten years.

Since 1995 the project has been directed towards help in return and integration of refugees and returnees.  Project was financially supported by USAID/ADF and Swedish foundation SIDA and since February 1st 1998 by the UNHCR.

The Main goal of this Project is to contribute towards development of democratic society in which human and civil rights, particularly rights of refugees, returnees and displaced persons are respected.

 

The specific objectives of the project are:

 

·        Provision of assistance to refugees, returnees and IDPs in order to achieve durable solution of their refugee issues;

·        Monitoring issues relating to the UNHCR Matrix specific for our geographical area and beneficiary population with emphasis on housing care and proposing solutions for faster and more efficient implementation based on identified problems;

·        Co-ordinate and participate in cross border exchange of information among legal aid providers in Republic of Croatia, Serbia and BH, in order to identify the best practice and maximise outputs in assisting returnees and refugees in achieving their rights. 

 

The main activities of the project are:

 

·        Provision of legal assistance and counselling to refugees, displaced persons and returnees and meeting their needs required for realisation of their individual rights;

·        Monitoring and provision of legal assistance to BH refugees  and displaced persons in the Collective Centre Blace near Vinkovci and to BH refugees in private accommodation;

·        Monitoring of implementation of housing care programme inside the ASSC;

·        Intensified monitoring and field check on allocated HC inside and outside the ASSC in Osijek-Baranja County; 

·        Provision of legal assistance to former OTR holders (HC beneficiaries) in obtaining status and social related issues with a special emphasis on former OTR holders who have not obtained the Croatian citizenship;

·        Cross-border cooperation with NGO-s in Serbia and BH in return related issues; 

·        Participation in coordination activities and campaigns of NGOs in Croatia whose main activity is promotion and protection of human rights.

 

Beneficiaries of our Project are: refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons.

Provision of free legal aid is available for the following categories:

·        Property Rights/Ownership

·        Ex-Tenancy Rights

·        Reconstruction

·        Status Rights

·        Criminal/Amnesty Law

·        Labour Rights

·        Convalidation

·        Pension and Disability Rights

·        Social Welfare Rights

·        Health Insurance Rights

 

Contact persons:

Mrs. Ljiljana Božić Krstanović, Programme Manager
Mr. Petar Pavlović, Legal Counsellor
Mr. Milenko Stanić, Legal Counsellor