Social services of European countries have seized 255 children from parents who left Ukraine, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets told Ukrainian media.
Lubinets claimed that he appealed to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to get the government to co-operate with European countries on the issue and help resolve it. The most Ukrainian children were removed by social services in Germany – 71, Poland – 33, Italy – 25, Czech Republic – 24 and Sweden – 17. Lubinets said:
“In January 2024, as the Ombudsman of Ukraine, I sent a letter to Prime Minister Shmyhal, in particular, asking him to take all possible response measures to establish co-operation at the level of competent authorities and interstate arrangements with other countries. The main goal is to facilitate the return of Ukrainian citizen children to their legal representatives.”
He explained that most often Ukrainian children are taken away from their parents or legal representatives on the background of lack of necessary documents and improper, according to EU law, fulfilment of parental duties: raising the voice, leaving unattended, any physical influence on the child or non-attendance of school.
Ukrainian parents often do not know that in many European countries it is forbidden to leave a child alone at home. And the age limits are different for all of them – in France and Great Britain the child must be under adult supervision up to 12 years old, in Poland – up to 7 years old.
In addition, in Germany, Switzerland, France and many other European countries, school attendance is compulsory. Unexcused absences and warnings from parents are sufficient grounds for the administration to complain to social services, which may decide that parents are unable to take care of their children.
