Rescue of Ukrainian citizens deported to Russia: side event at Warsaw Human Dimension Conference
Human Rights Centre ZMINA in cooperation with Ukraine 5 AM Coalition holds a side event “Rescue of Ukrainian Citizens Deported to Russia: Return and Departure to Third Countries” at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference in Królewski meeting room on October 12 at 16:00 CEST.
Photo: Getty ImagesSince the start of Russia’s large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, according to various sources, between 3 and over 4 million Ukrainian citizens have been deported to Russian-controlled territories, including 19,546 to over 700,000 Ukrainian children. It is impossible to establish the exact number of deported or forcibly displaced Ukrainians, which is, among other things, due to the refusal of the Russian Federation to facilitate both the identification and repatriation of civilians. Information about “evacuated” Ukrainians is not provided upon request by Ukraine or competent international organizations.
At the same time, the actions positioned by the aggressor state as evacuation have signs of several international crimes committed during the armed conflict in an atmosphere of fear and unfreedom when Russia deliberately created conditions in which there was no other choice but to leave (to Russia or to the occupied territory). One of these conditions was blocking evacuation corridors by the Russian military and shelling the “grey zone”. The “Ukraine 5 AM Coalition” described the situation with the deportation of civilians in detail in its analytical report last year.
In 2023, the issue of departure and repatriation of Ukrainian citizens deported to the territory of the Russian Federation or forcibly transferred to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine remains relevant. There is no single legal mechanism to achieve this goal. The exact number of adult Ukrainians who have managed to leave the territories under Russian control is unknown, but it has been established that 386 of them are children.
Key issues that may be covered during the event:
- General overview of the situation regarding the deportation of civilians from the territory of Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation;
- Difficulties with the departure (evacuation) of Ukrainian citizens from the occupied territories and the territory of the Russian Federation (undocumented persons, persons with reduced mobility, persons in places of detention, children);
- Existing measures for the return and support of Ukrainian citizens upon their return (adults and children);
- Peculiarities of returning deported children to the territory of Ukraine (creation of an international mechanism for return, state support to be provided).
Panelists:
- Alena Lunova, advocacy director of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, member of the “Ukraine 5 AM Coalition” secretariat
- Kateryna Rashevska, Legal Expert of the Regional Center for Human Rights
- Nelli Isaieva, Coordinator of the Department of Assistance for the Forcibly Deported Ukrainians at Helping to Leave
- Daria Kasyanova, Program Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine, Head of the Board of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network
Moderator: Nikita Grekowicz, senior specialist in the Eurasia Project of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
