Ukraine will do everything to ensure that even after many years, every Ukrainian child illegally deported by Russia can find out about their origin. This was stated by Advisor – President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk , during a live broadcast by Ukrinform.
"Ukraine is fighting for every Ukrainian child today. Russian adoption or guardianship procedures make it difficult to find children. However, we will do our best every day to ensure that even after many years a child can find out about his or her origin. This is very important," she emphasized.
The Advisor – President's Commissioner spoke about how to find out what happened to children in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, where the occupiers take young Ukrainian citizens and where they are held.
Daria Herasymchuk noted that there are at least six scenarios under which Russians abduct Ukrainian children. In particular, these include forced removal to children's camps, separation of children from parents who do not agree to cooperate with the occupation administrations, and separation from relatives in filtration camps.
Also, according to her, the Russians have begun to introduce a new scenario - a mandatory "medical examination" in medical institutions where healthy children are diagnosed with a disease that requires immediate treatment. Children who remain in such medical institutions without parents are assigned a guardian with Russian citizenship.
The Advisor – President's Commissioner noted that such actions of the occupiers against underage citizens of Ukraine are a genocidal policy of the Russian Federation.
"The Russian Federation has two tasks: to destroy Ukrainian children here or to kidnap them to replenish their nation," she said.
According to Daria Herasymchuk, there are clear algorithms for what to do with children who have been returned. The Child Protection Center, opened by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, assesses the needs of each child in accordance with the Algorithm for Individual Support of a Child Returned from Deportation or Forced Displacement. The Algorithm was recently approved by the Coordination Council on Child Protection and Safety, chaired by the Head of the Presidential Office.