White Book on Reintegration of Ukrainian Children Launched at Presidential Office

A presentation of the second White Book focusing on Ukrainian children during wartime was held at the Office of the President of Ukraine, addressing the reintegration of children returning from deportation in Russia.

Andrii Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, shared this information on October 25.

The full title of the book is "Reintegration of Children Who Have Experienced Deportation and Forced Displacement: International Standards and Best Practices for Ukraine," compiled by members of the International Expert Group Bring Kids Back UA.

The contents of the second White Book will be discussed at the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula, scheduled for October 30-31 in Montreal. Foreign ministers from Ukraine's partner countries, along with experts from international and public organizations, will collaborate to develop solutions for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, civilians, and children.

"Our children have become victims of horrific war crimes committed by Russia—they were taken from their homes, separated from their families, and subjected to attempts to erase their identity and culture. This White Book is crucial as it provides a comprehensive roadmap for how we, as a nation, can support them and restore their rights," Yermak emphasized.

The White Book offers recommendations on assisting children returning to Ukraine in regaining their identity and fully integrating into Ukrainian society.

On August 27, a White Book titled "Protecting Children from Forced Displacement and Deportation" was presented in Ukraine. This is the first document developed by Bring Kids Back UA. It contains evidence of the forced displacement of Ukrainian children to Russian territory.

On October 23, six more Ukrainian children, along with their mothers, returned from the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has illegally deported over 20,000 Ukrainian children, according to Ukrainian Ombudsman for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets. He warned that approximately 1.5 million more children, currently in Russian-occupied territories, face the risk of deportation.