The number of children deported by Russia and returned to Ukraine is growing every year.
This was stated by Oksana Cherviakova, representative for children's rights of the Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, during a press conference at Ukrinform titled "Return of Abducted Ukrainian Children."
"During June and July, many young people are returning — children or young people who consciously choose Ukraine, who remember Ukraine, and who even waited until they turned 18 so they could cross the border on their own. Earlier we talked about individual cases; now more than 10 children are returning every week," Cherviakova said.
According to her, this is connected with the admissions campaign and with the efforts Ukraine is making to ensure that children are informed about the support, rehabilitation, and financial assistance programs that have been introduced in Ukraine and continue to develop. She noted that the state's work is becoming visible, and as a result children and young people trust their future to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, children's rights advocate and lawyer Kateryna Rashevska, PhD in international law and a member of the NGO Regional Human Rights Center, said that as of now the Ministry of Justice register shows that 2,368 children who were forcibly transferred by the Russian Federation since the start of the full-scale war have been returned to Ukraine.
