The Italian court made an important decision according to which 57 Ukrainian orphans aged 6 to 16, evacuated from Berdyansk at the beginning of the full-scale conflict, will not be returned to Ukraine. This was reported by the Italian publication Handle.
This decision was the result of a hearing in the Juvenile Court of the city of Brescia. According to the resolution, all Ukrainian children in the province of Bergamo will now be placed under the care of Italian social services. This means that they will remain in the three specialized centers indefinitely, without any time limits.
Before that, the possibility of extending their stay in Bergamo for only two weeks was considered. However, the court changed this decision, granting permission for their stay for an indefinite period. This decision was made despite the appeal of the Ukrainian authorities with a request to return the children to their homeland.
The court’s decision is based on reports from the guardians, the Italian Ministry of Justice and the UNHCR. These reports indicate that many children have already submitted or intend to submit applications for international protection to the Territorial Commission because they fear for their safety if they return to regions near war zones.
Due to these circumstances, the court considered it necessary to temporarily stop the process of returning these children to Ukraine, so that the commission could study the submitted applications in detail and make appropriate decisions.
The court also emphasized that all the children must remain together as they arrived in Italy as a single group under the guidance of one responsible person. Thus, the court considers that it would be inappropriate to separate them.
The jurisdiction of the court of the city of Brescia also covers the region of Bergamo, where the children are currently staying. It is known that this group of Ukrainian children, together with several teachers, arrived in Bergamo back in March 2022 from two orphanages located in Berdyansk, which is currently occupied by Russian troops. Many of these children are currently being treated in Bergamo hospitals for various serious pathologies.
This decision is important because it provides safety and stability for children who have survived the traumatic experiences of war and evacuation. It also demonstrates the importance of international support and coordination in protecting the most vulnerable populations during conflicts.
