UMDP returns 24-year-old girl with disability from the temporarily occupied territory

Today, 24-year-old Svetlana* was able to hug her mother after a year and a half of separation. All this time she was forced to live in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region.

The Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine was approached by the NGO Pluriton with a request to help a girl with a disability leave the occupation. The team of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network together with its partners undertook to organize her return home.

For some time, Svitlana lived with her grandmother in the Donetsk region. After their city was occupied by Russian troops, there was no way to leave for the territory controlled by Ukraine. In October 2023, her grandmother died.
In need of care and support, Svitlana moved in with a neighbor, as her grandmother’s apartment was occupied by the Russian military.

It was urgent to work on the girl’s return to Ukraine, because in addition to the constant threat to her life in the TOT, Svitlana was going to be placed in a boarding school for people with disabilities in Russia.

In Ukraine, Svitlana’s mother was waiting for her, and she turned to her for help. It took 28 days from the first application to the moment of family reunification.
Each such return requires an individualized approach and the participation of many government agencies. We thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the State Migration Service of Ukraine for their assistance.

The Ukrainian Child Rights Network reminds that there are currently no mechanisms for the return of children and youth with disabilities and serious complex diseases. Their transportation requires special transportation and proper care. Due to the multi-day dangerous and exhausting route, it is very difficult to organize logistics.

*The names of the characters have been changed