The recent effort to repatriate a group of Russian children from refugee camps in Syria was completed on March 10, facilitated by Maria Lvova-Belova, the Presidential Commissioner for the Rights of the Child. This development was reported by RT and confirms that twenty-one groups of minors were involved in the operation that day.
According to the report, an agreement with Kurdish authorities made possible the return of 32 children, aged between 5 and 17 years, to relatives in Russia. The official tally indicates that 12 of the children are girls and 20 are boys, reflecting a cross-section of ages and family circumstances that required careful coordination and humanitarian consideration.
Lvova-Belova has previously indicated plans to repatriate a larger number of children from Syria. In 2023 she stated that 200 Russian children were slated to be brought home, reflecting ongoing efforts to reunite families and ensure the safety and welfare of minors affected by the conflict and displacement in the region.
During discussions around the repatriation process, she acknowledged that legal and diplomatic obstacles could momentarily slow progress. She noted that an arrest decision by the International Criminal Court presented some restrictions on movement, yet she also affirmed that alternative channels and solutions were pursued to advance the overarching humanitarian goal of bringing children back to Russia with their families where possible.
In another development, Lvova-Belova announced that 11 children who had been handed over to Ukraine with support from Qatar were subsequently reunited with their families at the Qatar embassy in Moscow, marking a separate but related milestone in efforts to restore family unity for young people affected by the broader regional crisis.
Earlier statements from Lvova-Belova referenced claims of persecution against a family in Donbass who had taken custody of children, underscoring the sensitive and often contested nature of child welfare cases in conflict zones. These remarks reflect ongoing concerns about safeguarding, relocation, and the rights of minors amid complex geopolitical tensions.