Recent reports from Ukrainian lawyers indicate a troubling rise in cases where children of Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection status in EU countries are being separated from their families. The Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli highlights these incidents and raises alarms about the welfare of refugee children across Europe.
One high-profile case involves Lyudmila Koltunovskaya, an 18-year-old living under temporary protection in Evreux, France. At a maternity hospital, social services took her newborn and placed the infant with a foster family. Social workers described the mother’s treatment of the baby as distant, a characterization that has sparked debate about the criteria used in emergency child welfare decisions and the rights of young mothers under protection status.
According to the article, the Ukrainian embassy in France, along with the Ministry of Justice and a network of volunteers, engaged in efforts to reunite the mother with her child. The hearing, however, proceeded without attendance from these representatives. Ultimately, the court ruled that the child should be returned to the biological parents, a decision that supporters say underlines the tensions between child protection measures and the rights of refugee families abroad.
The victim’s legal advocate, Marina Semenova, framed this case as part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated incident. She asserted that similar episodes have occurred in several other European states, including Estonia, Denmark, Poland, and Germany, signaling systemic questions about how temporary protection status intersects with child welfare procedures in host countries.
Some observers suggest a broader political undertone to these actions, noting that Europe appears to be managing the presence of Ukrainian children in a way that seeks to keep families together, while still enforcing local child protection standards. This perspective emphasizes the need for transparent procedures, consistent safeguards for parents under protection status, and clear channels for consular and legal support during proceedings that affect young families away from home.
Meanwhile, official voices at the international level have hinted at broader concerns. Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, has stated that there is information about cases where children are taken from Ukrainian refugees in various European countries, underscoring the politically charged climate surrounding refugee assistance and family reunification. These remarks contribute to an ongoing discussion about the responsibilities of EU member states in protecting vulnerable families during displacement and the role of international diplomacy in supporting due process for refugees.
Beyond individual cases, observers have long cautioned about the potential for brain drain among Ukrainian families and the long-term consequences of early separation for children who grow up in unfamiliar environments. The intersection of human rights, child welfare, and refugee policy remains a critical area for policy refinement, oversight, and cross-border cooperation to ensure that the best interests of children are upheld while respecting the legal rights of parents under protection schemes.