Joint statement on the forcible transfer, deportation, and adoption of children from Ukraine by Russia
We are deeply concerned by reports that many children displaced by the war in Ukraine have been forcibly transferred to other Russia-occupied territories or deported to Russia and placed in Russian foster and adoptive families, given Russian nationality and separated permanently from their families, communities, and country.
Any child displaced by the conflict in Ukraine must be cared for in line with international standards. This may include appropriate temporary family-based alternative care in the country or region of arrival, as long as this is accompanied by clear efforts to trace and reunify them with their own families and communities through cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities. The forcible transfer, deportation and adoption of children from Ukraine, resulting in permanently separating children from their families, communities and culture, is a clear violation of their human rights and of international humanitarian law, and poses a substantial threat to their safety and wellbeing as well as to their sense of identity and belonging.
We condemn these practices and urge all parties to the conflict to respect international laws and standards that are there to protect children in conflict and other emergencies.
As of 8 March 2023, this joint statement has been endorsed by the following 43 organisations, agencies, and networks. Read the full joint statement here.
