UN Criticizes Russia For Compelling Ukrainian Refugee Children For Adoption

Ukrainian refugee children have reportedly been forced into adoption.

In a recent statement, the United Nations condemned Russia for placing Ukrainian children up for adoption, citing concerns about the welfare and human rights of the children involved.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) chief Filippo Grandi has accused Russia of violating the fundamental principles of child protection in wartime by giving Ukrainian children in occupied regions Russian passports and putting them up for adoption.

Ukrainian officials have reported that as many as 14,000 children have been taken to Russia, with only 125 being returned.

Ukrainian Refugee Children Up For Adoption

Ukraine officials have suggested that the headcount of children taken to Russia may be far higher than recorded.

According to Reuters, Grandi has reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the agency to do more to help children being forced into adoption by Russia.

The UN commissioner also admitted that his agency has no idea how many children have been shipped out of Ukraine because Russia has not been forthcoming with information about the practice.

According to Grandi, the international agency has been attempting to get access to the exact number of children involved in the situation, but such access has been limited and inconsistent.

He acknowledged that the exact number of children affected is unknown but pointed out that in a war situation, it is difficult to determine if children have families or guardians, and therefore it is impossible to give them another nationality or have them adopted by another family.

Nevertheless, the international organization has condemned Russia for placing Ukrainian refugee children up for adoption with Russian families.

The UN Commissioner expressed concern for the welfare and human rights of the affected children and announced that the UNHCR will work to gain access to them and find solutions in their best interests.

Read Also: More Students Getting Hungry as School Lunch Debt Piles Up

UN Detected Russia's Adoption Practice

According to the BBC, this report confirms long-standing suspicions that Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia.

In July, multiple reports emerged of children being taken from orphanages in eastern Donbass, a region that is currently under Russian control.

In September, the Assistant UN Secretary-General for Human Rights also reported credible allegations of forced transfers of unaccompanied children to Russian occupied territories or to Russia itself.

This news highlights the ongoing human rights violations happening in Ukraine and the need for international action to protect the welfare of these children.

As per the New York Post, Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, responded to Grandi's statements by accusing him of being silent after children were murdered in what she alleged was a bombardment by the Ukrainian government in the Donbas area after separatists proclaimed their independence in 2014.

After the missile attacks, Zakharova noted that she wished that such officials from the United Nations had taken note of the enormous help that Russia offered for humanitarian purposes.

It has been reported that during Russia's eight-month invasion of the Kherson region, at least 1,000 children were taken from schools and orphanages, and these children's whereabouts are still unknown.

The UN commissioner has predicted that due to the geopolitical turmoil in eastern Europe, the refugee crisis can have two outcomes: one, the continuous turmoil could create more refugees, or two, Ukrainian refugees could return to the country during the warm season.

Related Articles: 6-Year-Old Responsible for Teacher's Shooting May Not Receive Jail Time