Legislative Changes for War-Affected Children

The Parliament has passed new initiatives that resolve legal conflicts regarding the status of children who have suffered due to the war.

The changes also officially recognize the status of deported and temporarily displaced minors.

This was announced by the speaker of the Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

In Ukraine, the procedure for granting the status of a war-affected child is regulated by the Law on "Child Protection" and relevant government resolutions. However, these documents had conflicting provisions regarding the conditions for granting this status.

The purpose of draft law №12385 is to eliminate these conflicts. The document stipulates that the status of a child affected by war is granted based on:

• the declared or registered place of residence;
• the child's registration as an internally displaced person (IDP);
• an application if the child's residence is not registered or is located in a combat zone;
• the identification of such a child by executive authorities or local governments.

Draft law №9495 officially recognizes the status of deported and forcibly displaced children. According to the explanatory note, it establishes the legal basis for their return and aims to facilitate their further integration into Ukrainian society.

Deportation is defined as the illegal transfer to the territory of an aggressor state or its allies without the consent of the child and their legal representatives, while forced displacement refers to the transfer of a child from Ukraine to temporarily occupied territories or Russia without their consent.