According to various estimates, more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees are currently abroad. Most citizens are not sufficiently familiar with the laws of the host countries. For example, parents are obliged to send their children to school within a limited time after arrival, and in many European countries it is forbidden to leave children under the age of 12 at home. If parents violate these rules, they will be fined. Sometimes children are even taken away.
What can lead to the removal of a child?
Usually, the decision to remove the child is made by the court. In Slovakia, grounds for having a child taken away from parents can be:
- if the parents commit violent acts against the child;
- if the parents do not properly fulfill the parental duties of caring for the child;
- in the event that the parents do not have relevant documents confirming the legal representation of the child’s interests abroad.
What to do in the event of child removal?
First of all, in such cases, Ukrainians are advised to contact the Embassy of Ukraine in the Slovak Republic by phone +421 259 202 813. The address of the embassy in Bratislava is: Radvanská 35, 811 01. You can also send an email to the diplomatic office at the address: consul_sk@mfa.gov. u.a
In addition, it is worth applying for legal assistance. Currently, Ukrainians can get it for free, as the Slovak Bar Association has created a special list of lawyers who provide assistance to Ukrainian refugees.
You can find a lawyer on the website of the association – https://www.sak.sk/. The resource even offers the option of choosing the language the lawyer speaks.
