CrimeaSOS: forced passporting is another way of abducting Ukrainian children

russia introduces new methods of abducting Ukrainian children through forced passporting. CrimeaSOS lawyer Anastasiia Kalinina explained how Ukrainian citizens are “assimilated” in russia and in what way this threatens the abducted children.

Since 2014, the russian federation has been trying to change the identity and impose its citizenship on Ukrainian children. Only after the start of a full-scale invasion in 2022 did this crime become known to the whole world.

According to the data of the National Information Bureau, 19,384 children were deported to russia from the occupied territories of Ukraine.  It is known about the removal of entire orphanages, children’s boarding houses, etc. to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and to russia. Children were placed in social, medical, and educational institutions, where illegal adoption of Ukrainian children by russians took place later.

Currently, Ukraine is conducting important activities to return the abducted Ukrainian children back to their homeland. The Coordination Council for the Protection and Safety of Children under the President of Ukraine was established. The efforts of the international community to develop a mechanism for the release of Ukrainian children are also continuing.

“On March 14, 2023, the state duma of the russian federation adopted the federal law “On the peculiarities of the legal status of citizens of the russian federation who have the citizenship of Ukraine”. In fact, this “law” aims to forcibly passport the deported and forcibly displaced citizens of Ukraine, including orphans and children left without parental guardianship”, – says Anastasiia Kalinina.

In accordance with the specified “law”, authorized representatives of educational and medical social institutions where orphans and children left without parental care are kept can submit an application on behalf of such children regarding their unwillingness to stay in Ukrainian citizenship to the authorized bodies of the russian federation. According to the legislation of the russian federation, such a statement is a confirmation of the fact of deprivation of Ukrainian citizenship in the legal field of russia. Such a person is prohibited from having and using the passport of a citizen of Ukraine, in particular having the rights and duties of a citizen of Ukraine.

An example of such a statement from open sources

The so-called “law” does not establish liability and legal consequences for “exercise of rights and fulfilment of duties”, except that in this case the person will be considered a citizen of Ukraine again.

“However, taking into account the condition of the legal system of the russian federation, it is easy to assume that the presence of such a conclusion may be the basis for bringing to various types of legal liability, in particular criminal one”, — adds the lawyer.

This is a war crime, namely the deportation and forced relocation of Ukrainian citizens, including children. This is the erasure of Ukrainian identity and the imposition of russian citizenship.