Legislative Changes on the Status of War-Affected Children
The Verkhovna Rada has enacted new bills aimed at resolving issues related to the status of children affected by war.
These new regulations also officially define the status of deported and temporarily displaced minors.
This was announced by the Chairman of the Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
In Ukraine, the procedure for obtaining the status of a child affected by military actions is governed by the Law "On Childhood Protection" and Cabinet decisions. Previously, there were inconsistencies in the documents regarding who can grant this status and under what conditions.
The aim of bill No. 12385 is to eliminate these inconsistencies. The document specifies that the status of a child affected by war is granted based on:
- the declared or registered place of residence;
- the registration of the child as an internally displaced person (IDP);
- an application if the child's place of residence is not registered or located in a combat zone;
- the identification of such a child by executive authorities or local self-government.
Bill No. 9495 officially establishes the concepts of deported and forcibly displaced children. According to the explanatory note, it lays the legal foundations for their return and aims to facilitate the further integration of these children into Ukrainian society.
Deportation is recognized as the illegal relocation to the territory of an aggressor state or its allies without the consent of the child and their legal representatives. Forcible relocation refers to the movement of a child from Ukraine to temporarily occupied territories or Russia without their consent.
