Ukraine Presents White Paper on Reintegration of Children Returned from Russian Deportation

Author:

Mariia Kucova

On October 24, the Office of the President of Ukraine unveiled White Paper No. 2, titled “Reintegration of Children Affected by Deportation and Forcible Transfers: International Standards and Best Practices for Ukraine.” This document was created by an international team of experts from Bring Kids Back UA.

Nataliia Sosnovenko, the head of the Center for Psychological Expertise and Methodology at the charitable foundation Voices of Children, participated in the presentation. She provides psychological support to children returning from deportation and assists them during interviews with law enforcement officials.

After returning to Ukraine, each child faces a new set of challenges. First, they need stabilization and basic needs met, followed by social support and, ultimately, quality psychological care,

explained the representative of Voices of Children.

Sosnovenko stressed the need for sustainable, long-term solutions to help fully integrate these children into Ukrainian society. It is essential to expand local services and provide training for psychologists and other professionals.

Overview of White Paper No. 2

This document presents a comprehensive strategy for reintegrating Ukrainian children who have returned from Russian deportation. The authors make the following recommendations:

Develop child-friendly justice systems.
Enhance the Registry of Deported and Forcibly Displaced Persons.
Expand access to social and psychological services for children who have experienced trauma and their families.
Implement long-term reintegration programs to support children’s integration within their communities.

These recommendations will be discussed at the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula in Montreal on October 30–31.

This second White Paper builds on the first, which was released in August. The initial paper provided a thorough analysis of the forced relocation and deportation of children, presenting clear evidence of war crimes and serious violations of international law by Russia.