At least 3,790 orphans and children deprived of parental care have been deported or forcibly transferred since the beginning of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Additionally, between 2014 and 2022, another 1,000 orphans from the occupied Crimean peninsula were displaced and given for adoption to Russian citizens.
As of May 2024, 388 children with experiences of deportation and/or forcible transfer have been returned to Ukraine. The status data of these returned children is official information of the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, and is therefore not available for analysis. However, according to information from open sources, among the returned children are orphans and those deprived of parental care (‘status’ children). However, these are mostly isolated cases.
The existing practice of return is not designed for the repatriation of orphans and children deprived of parental care. This underscores the need to develop an algorithm for the return of this category of children, including further actions regarding their rehabilitation and reintegration. Additionally, Ukraine must undertake significant preparatory work at the national level to ensure the best interests of the child, which directly impacts the pace and effectiveness of repatriation in the context of deinstitutionalization reform.
The return of orphans and children deprived of parental care must be conducted in accordance with the principles and procedures provided by international standards for all deported and forcibly transferred children. It is also important to consider that orphans and children deprived of parental care belong to a particularly vulnerable category, and Ukraine has an obligation to support and bring up these children.
This publication/article has been produced with the support of the ‘Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine’. The content of this publication/article is the sole responsibility of the Regional Center for Human Rights and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fund and/or of its financing partners.
The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) is a multi-donor programme funded by Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which unites the Government of Ukraine with its closest international government partners to deliver projects in primarily liberated and frontline communities that strengthen Ukraine’s resilience against Russia’s war of aggression. PFRU aims to strengthen the Ukrainian government’s capacity and resilience to deliver essential support to local communities in collaboration with civil society, media, and the private sector.