The story of a refugee from Congo

Our client fled the Democratic Republic of Congo from political persecution. She and her siblings made their way to the Polish forest. She was repeatedly pushed across the border under the rifles alternately by Polish and Belarusian border guards and spent a week in the forest.

After this traumatic experience she was placed in a so-called guarded center for foreigners – that is, she was locked up in a “prison” for migrants. According to regulations, a person should not be detained in such a center after suffering violence and trauma.

With the support of our legal team, the woman was granted refugee status. She can stay in Poland and try to build a good, safe life here. She also received compensation for wrongful detention.