A large-scale international campaign dedicated to the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia has begun in the Netherlands

A large-scale international campaign called “BACK 2 SCHOOL… BUT NOT FOR THEM” was launched in the Netherlands, dedicated to the problem of the return of Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia. Informational billboards reminding of the Ukrainian children deported by Russia are placed in the center of major cities throughout the country.

This campaign was initiated by the Orphans Feeding Foundation, a charitable foundation that specializes in supporting orphans and children affected by war. The founder of the foundation is Mariam Lambert told, that the billboards are placed not only in the Netherlands, but also in Great Britain, signaling the start of an even wider campaign. In the future, this initiative will spread to the USA, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and other countries.

Mariam Lambert emphasized that the goal of the campaign is to raise public awareness of the fate of Ukrainian children forcibly separated from their families and taken to Russia. This is a pressing issue, and thanks to the billboards installed in partnership with JCDecaux, the campaign sends an important message to people.

“As children around the world return to school, about 20,000 Ukrainian children remain forcibly separated from their families, homes and, importantly, education,” Lambert said. The “BACK 2 SCHOOL… BUT NOT FOR THEM” campaign is an important step for the foundation in spreading knowledge about the problem of deportation of Ukrainian children and supporting initiatives aimed at their return.

Threat of deportation and militarization of Ukrainian children

Lambert also emphasized that an increasing number of Ukrainian children are being forcibly relocated to Russia or to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine every day. She noted that time works against children and their families, as every day more and more children are given up for adoption in Russia, which complicates the process of their reunification with their families in Ukraine.

“Russia is turning these children into military cadets, which is absolutely unacceptable,” Lambert emphasized. “We need to act now, because every day separates these children from their families. More and more children are being deported every day, and it is becoming more and more difficult to bring them back. Our main enemy is time, so our goal is to inform the world community about this disaster as soon as possible.”

International support

According to the data provided by the human rights commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, 40 countries have already joined the International Coalition, which deals with the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia. International support is becoming increasingly powerful, as the problem of child deportation goes beyond a purely national issue and becomes a challenge for the entire international community.

Official data on the deportation of children

According to official data provided by the Ukrainian authorities, since February 24, 2022, 19,546 children have been forcibly removed from Ukraine to Russia. These are only those cases that were officially recorded – that is, when the parents, guardians or witnesses of the child’s deportation reported it to the National Information Bureau of Ukraine. It should be noted that the real number of deported children may be much higher, as not all cases were documented due to the complexity of the situation in the occupied regions.

Despite all efforts, Ukraine managed to return only 758 children from the territory of Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This shows how difficult the return process is, as the Russian side resists and prevents the return of children to their families.

Further steps

The campaign “BACK 2 SCHOOL… BUT NOT FOR THEM” not only draws attention to the problem, but also aims to mobilize the international community for specific actions. The Russian authorities continue to systematically remove children from the occupied territories, violating all possible international norms and rights of the child.

Thanks to an initiative like the Orphans Feeding Foundation’s campaign, the international community gets an important tool to put pressure on Russia and draw attention to the issue of deportation of Ukrainian children. In today’s world, the problem of forced displacement of children is a serious humanitarian disaster and must be addressed immediately.

Every day that the process is delayed makes it more difficult for the children to return. Unless concrete measures are taken, these children may be lost to their families forever as Russia actively works to integrate them into its society through its education and training systems, turning them into a part of militarized propaganda.

The international campaign “BACK 2 SCHOOL… BUT NOT FOR THEM” is an important step in the fight for the return of Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported to Russia. It aims to inform the global community of the seriousness of this problem and call for action to support the process of their return.

This campaign is an example of how international cooperation and support can draw attention to flagrant violations of children’s rights and work to restore children’s right to a safe life, education and family warmth in Ukraine.