Ukrainian refugees, especially those traveling with children, often face unexpected problems at the border. Queues, additional document checks, often prejudiced attitudes – all this becomes a reality for those who are looking for security or just want to fulfill a childhood dream. At the same time, cases when rules and procedures are brought to the point of absurdity, as happened with a six-year-old Ukrainian boy at the Polish border, undermine trust in the justice and humanity of bureaucratic mechanisms.
Olena Tereshchenko, public figure and human rights defender and former deputy of the Kyiv City Council of the 7th convocation published on his page a story that shocked many. Six-year-old Nikita with a British visa, dreaming of a trip to London with a school group, got into a dead end because of a typewriter drawn on his passport. A drawing made by a child with a pen on one of the entry stamps did not cause any comments during previous border crossings. But this time the Polish border guards decided that it was a forgery and confiscated the document.
A shocking story
“Right now, a child’s passport with a British visa was confiscated at the Polish border just because he circled one of the entry stamps with a pen a long time ago (and no one noticed), he used to cross borders without problems.
The claim of the Polish side is that you forged the stamp. Although the originality of this stamp can be easily checked in the computer system, it is the same in my passport. There are no grounds for confiscation. The stamp is not fake, the passport is not fake.
The passport is the property of Ukraine, especially with a valid UK visa. His group is already at the airport, preparing to board the plane. A child who has just turned 6 years old has been crying continuously for several hours. And I’m omitting the nuances of dealing with us here…
And the little one was supposed to go to London with the school for just 3 days, because he had been dreaming about it for a long time…
And we won’t get out of here without a passport, because otherwise we won’t be able to prove later that it wasn’t fake
P.S. Thank you all for your support and advice! After the scandal I created, when they tried to provide us with a document in Polish, that it turns out that we voluntarily (!) leave them our passport and our other requirements, they finally informed us that they were letting us go. Obviously, only because they did not want a public scandal. But they didn’t let us go right away anyway.
We waited another half hour for them to give Nikola’s passport, and then we waited for them to find mine. We were released exactly at the hour when our departure was supposed to be. It is clear that we did not make it to the plane, the group flew without Niki. The child was in incredible despair, they bought new tickets, but again there were problems at the airport at the passport control, because the Polish customs marked the pages of Nikoli’s passport in red and entered some kind of entry into the general system. Now we are waiting for a decision.
At the British border, after the experience, the child was even afraid to approach the inspector with his passport with red marks. But.
A separate passage for passengers with children (so that children do not get exhausted in queues), a friendly smiling inspector, a sweet “small talk”, a compliment to the child and a sincere wish for a good stay. 5 minutes and the control is passed. The contrast is striking. When you return home, you must see a psychologist.” – wrote Tereshchenko.
This situation is not unique. Ukrainian refugees often face bureaucratic brutality, which undermines trust in the system.
How parents should act to avoid such problems
- Check your passports before you travel. Carefully review all pages of the passport. If there are any additional markings, drawings or records, please consult an immigration lawyer.
- Have copies of documents. Make several copies of passports, visas and other important documents. This can help if they are lost or delayed.
- Be ready to stand up for your rights. If claims arise from border guards, insist on documentation of the grounds for delay or confiscation.
- Support the child. In stressful situations, it is important to calm the child. Explain what’s going on and reassure them that everything will be fine.
- Ask for support. If the conflict cannot be resolved, seek help from the consulate or human rights organizations.
This story became a vivid example of how important it is not only to know your rights, but also to be ready to protect them. At the same time, it raises an important question: is there a place for humanity in the modern border control system? After all, for many Ukrainian children, such trips are not just a journey, but a symbol of hope for a peaceful and happy childhood.
