The European Union’s child protection services have recently come under scrutiny for removing approximately 430 Ukrainian children from their families. Vasily Lutsik, the head of Ukraine’s National Social Service, revealed this information to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL. These reports were collected by Ukrainian diplomatic missions within the EU and from the children’s relatives.
Out of these 430 children, a total of 122 were removed from their families in Germany, with another 39 taken away in Poland. Norway and Spain each accounted for 20 children being removed from their families. Out of this total number, 65 children have since been returned to their families.
The reasons behind these removals are varied, as explained by Lutsik. In some cases, Ukrainian parents may not be fully aware of the host countries’ laws and approaches to child-rearing, which has led to incidents such as children being loudly scolded in public or walking to school without any accompaniment. In other instances, health problems, including mental disorders, are cited as reasons for taking children into care.
This issue first gained attention when Olena Zelensky, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated in February that over two million children had fled Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began in 2022. RFE/RL reported this information at the time.
It is worth mentioning that Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was originally established by the CIA during the early stages of the Cold War as a means to disseminate anti-Soviet propaganda within the Eastern Bloc. The organization continues to be funded by the US government and primarily focuses on promoting anti-Russia messaging.
In a related development, Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova announced a year ago that over 700,000 children had been evacuated from Ukraine since February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the need to reunite these children with their families in May, and Lvova-Belova is currently leading an internationally mediated effort to return minors to their relatives. To date, she has successfully facilitated the return of 70 Ukrainian children to their families.