The United Nations is looking into allegations that children are being forcibly deported from war-torn Ukraine and placed for adoption in Russia.
Michelle Bachelet, the organization’s human rights leader, said her agency is ‘investigating accusations of minors forcibly transported from Ukraine to the Russian Federation.’
She claimed that these included children who were “removed from orphanages and then sold for adoption in Russia.”
The claims, as well as the number of minors involved, were not confirmed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
‘We are concerned about the Russian authorities’ claimed plans to allow the transportation of children from Ukraine to Russian Federation homes, which do not appear to contain processes for family reunification or respect the best interests of the kid,’ she told the council.
‘We will continue to monitor the situation attentively,’ she said.
Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, tens of thousands of young people are reported to have been relocated to Russia.
In March, the United Nations expressed alarm about the danger of forced adoption of Ukrainian children, particularly the 91,000 youngsters who were residing in institutions or boarding schools at the start of the war, many of whom were in the country’s besieged east.
This week, UNICEF’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia, Asfhan Khan, advised that “adoption should never occur during or immediately after emergencies.”
She told reporters that such children cannot be considered to be orphans, and that “any choice to move any child must be anchored in their best interests and any movement must be voluntary,” and that “parents must grant informed permission.”
‘In terms of children who have been taken to Russia, we’re working closely with ombudspersons and networks to see how best we can document such cases,’ Khan said, adding that no access to such youngsters was now available.
She went to Kyiv, Irpin, Bucha, Zhytomyr, and Lviv to see the effects of the conflict on the 7.5 million children in Ukraine.
‘The figures are astonishing, and they bear repeating,’ she remarked. Nearly two-thirds of Ukraine’s children are displaced, whether they are internally displaced or refugees fleeing across borders.
‘Children are forced to abandon their homes, friends, toys, and prized possessions, as well as family members, and face an uncertain future.
‘Children are losing their futures as a result of this instability; trauma and fear can have long-term effects on children’s physical and mental health.’
Khan said 277 people were murdered and 456 others were injured, though these figures are likely to be underestimated.