Response to interpellation 2025/26:290 on the work to repatriate forcibly deported Ukrainian children
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 M argues that Russia has illegally deported tens of thousands of Ukrainian children and that Sweden is working to ensure these children are reunited with their families through support to Ukraine's national coordination 1. 1 M considers sanctions to be effective instruments and that Sweden contributes to Ukraine's integrated child protection system 1. 2 M admits that today's efforts are not sufficient and that the work is proceeding too slowly 2. 3 M argues that Russia obstructs repatriation processes and that Sweden is pushing for accountability through international bodies 3. 3 M considers that more sanctions are necessary and that no one who has been involved in forced displacement should escape consequences 3. 4 M argues that it is crucial that Russia is held accountable for its crimes and that this must not be negotiated away 4. 4 M emphasizes the importance of transparency in the civilian support to Ukraine and that Sweden is working to strengthen the Ukrainian justice system 4. 5 S considers that the reunification is proceeding slowly and requests an internationally centralized economic mechanism 5. 6 S argues that reintegration requires long-term social work and exchange of expertise 6. 7 S wants Sweden to influence the USA to resume funding of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab 7. 8 S considers that children absolutely must not become a bargaining chip or a political compromise in a peace process 8. 8 S emphasizes that the support for the children must function long-term at the local level 8.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Mr. Speaker! Azra Muranovic has asked which additional international initiatives I intend to take to increase the pressure on Russia to stop the abduction and forced deportation of Ukrainian children and to enable the reunification of children with their families. She has also asked whether the government intends to initiate or support a specific international coordination mechanism with a mandate to systematize, coordinate, and strengthen cooperation with Ukraine regarding the return. Furthermore, Azra Muranovic has asked how I intend to ensure transparency and follow-up of the Swedish support efforts in Ukraine. Finally, she has asked how I intend to work to ensure that Sweden's support more clearly includes long-term, child rights-based reintegration and rehabilitation.
Russia has illegally deported or forcibly displaced tens of thousands of Ukrainian girls and boys. Every figure represents a child who has been torn away from their safety and whose life has been affected forever. We have nine-year-old Katya from Kherson. We have the teenagers Oleg and Yevhen who have been sent to military camps. We have eleven-year-old Sasha who was separated from her mother during the fighting in Mariupol and who was later rescued by her grandmother. Ukrainian children have been adopted and given new names and Russian passports.
We must work to ensure that these children are reunited with their families and given rehabilitation, and that those responsible for the crimes are held accountable. The government does this in two ways: through support for Ukraine's work in identifying, documenting, and repatriating the children, and by increasing the pressure on Russia.
Sweden worked closely with Ukraine to develop the resolution that was adopted in the UN General Assembly in December and which requires Russia to ensure an immediate, safe, and unconditional return of the Ukrainian children who have been forcibly displaced or deported. Most recently this week, I took part in an informal discussion together with the EU's foreign ministers and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to highlight the importance of the UN OHCHR having an active role in contributing to investigations, accountability, and effective coordination regarding the issue of the abducted children.
Ukraine's wishes should be guiding for our work. Sweden currently provides support to strengthen Ukraine's national coordination for the identification, repatriation, and reintegration of abducted children.
I also want to mention sanctions as one of the most effective instruments to increase the pressure on Russia. In October, the EU adopted new sanctions against individuals involved in the illegal deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. More such listings need to be adopted.
For Ukraine, the return of the abducted Ukrainian children is a priority issue in the peace negotiations. When the children return, they must be given support and time to heal. Therefore, Sweden provides support for Ukraine's development of integrated child protection systems. Children's rights must always be in focus for our work.
Swedish support is followed up according to standard procedures, including assessments of corruption risks, to ensure that the resources are used effectively and reach the children and families who are in greatest need of support.
In summary, I can state that Sweden is doing a lot, but no efforts are sufficient until all children have returned.
Azra Muranovic (S)
Mr. Speaker! I want to begin by thanking the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer and especially for clearly highlighting the situation of the individual children. It is important that we do not lose ourselves in figures but remember that every child who has been deported is an individual who has been torn away from their family and their security.
At the same time, it is precisely for that reason that we must also speak about the results of the efforts being made. Sweden and many other countries are already contributing significant support, resolutions have been adopted and sanctions have been imposed, but despite this, tens of thousands of Ukrainian children are still far from their families. Even though important steps are being taken, the reunification is still proceeding slowly in relation to how many children it concerns and how great the need is. Every month that passes also means additional time of separation and trauma for the children and their families.
When speaking with organizations and authorities that work with repatriation, a picture emerges of how difficult and resource-intensive each individual case is. Often, very complicated and sometimes risky interventions are required for a child to be able to return. Therefore, the question is not only about how much support is given but also about how effectively the support is translated into children being able to come home.
My questions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs are therefore the following.
How does the government assess that today's international efforts actually affect the possibility of bringing the children home on a larger scale? And does the Minister see a need for Sweden to push for further measures if the repatriation continues to go slowly, such as an internationally centralized economic mechanism? Experts and human rights advocates highlight this as a gap and a deficiency in the issue.
Carina Ödebrink (S)
Mr. Speaker! I thank the interpellor Azra Muranovic and the Minister for the interpellation debate. It is important that we keep the Ukrainian children in focus when it comes to the war in Ukraine.
There are war crimes, and then there are war crimes aimed at exterminating a people. The removal of the Ukrainian children is such a crime. It is not a side effect of the war, but it is a deliberate state-organized policy. Just as the Minister has accounted for, thousands of children have been removed by Russia. Those responsible must, of course, be held accountable.
As a special envoy for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, with a mandate to work on the issue of the Ukrainian children, I meet continuously with those working on the issue on the ground. In November, I had a longer meeting with representatives from Socialstyrelsen and Ukraine's central authorities, the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development, within the framework of the president's initiative Bring Kids Back.
The message to Sweden was very clear. It is not just about bringing the children home, but about what meets them when they return. Ukraine's first Child Rights Protection Centre was opened in Kyiv in 2023. Today, there are several around the country. 1,037 children have already received support, and more centers are planned, including in Kharkiv. Ukraine has also established children's home activities, similar to those we have in Sweden.
The needs are enormous. We were told about two children, four and six years old, who did not recognize their mother when they were reunited after she had been held captive by Russian military for over two years.
Children are subjected to indoctrination, militarization, and systematic influence – during formative years in a child's life. Reintegration is a long-term, advanced social work that requires individual action plans, psychological support, social interventions, legal support, and functional housing.
Here, Ukraine requests something very concrete from countries like Sweden, namely competence exchange, agency cooperation, and targeted funding. Sweden does quite a lot, and it is a strength that we in the Swedish Riksdag are completely united when it comes to the support for Ukraine.
Mr. Speaker! For children to be able to return at all, they must first be found. Here, Yale Humanitarian Research Lab plays a completely decisive role. Through satellite data, open sources, and advanced analysis, they can map camps, institutions, and places where children are held. It is absolutely crucial for being able to reunite the children and document evidence for future prosecutions, and furthermore, it is part of the legal process regarding an ongoing war crime. Without this documentation, the possibility of holding those responsible – the guilty – accountable is hindered. Yale's work has, as we know, been hampered by the fact that the US administration has completely withdrawn the funding.
I would like to ask a question to the Minister: What is the current situation regarding the funding of YALE's important work?
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Mr. Speaker! I thank you for an extremely important debate.
It is impossible to find words to describe the brutality of the crimes. Illegal deportation and forced displacement constitute war crimes and can also constitute crimes against humanity. These actions are one of the clearest expressions of Russia's systematic attempts to erase Ukrainian identity by forcing children to speak Russian and change culture and loyalty.
I have previously mentioned in the Riksdag the high-level meeting on the abducted Ukrainian children being organized by the EU, Ukraine, and Canada during the spring. The meeting will be an important opportunity to identify measures, increase political pressure, and deepen cooperation. Preparations for the meeting are being intensified at this moment.
According to Ukrainian sources, approximately 2,000 children have returned. That is far too few, and it is going far too slowly. There is a consensus that more must be done, that we must accelerate measures where we see results, and that we must implement the UN resolution from December. The answer to Azra Muranovics' question is that not enough is being done, and we can probably never say enough is being done until all children have come home. But I experience an enormous commitment to the issues. Also, countries that perhaps are not so clear in their support for Ukraine's difficult situation often express support for the work to get back the abducted Ukrainian children.
Tracing and identifying the children is, of course, a first step towards repatriation. Sweden therefore provides support to Ukraine's pilot mechanism to identify the abducted children. When the children then return, the goal is that every child shall grow up in a safe and family-based environment, which our support to Unicef also contributes to.
Regarding Carina Ödebrinks' question, the government has tasked Socialstyrelsen to coordinate Sweden's reconstruction and reform cooperation with Ukraine within social policy and health and medical care. We look forward to Socialstyrelsen's proposals on how this assignment can be concretized to further contribute to the reintegration of Ukrainian children and the very important psychosocial support.
Azra Muranovic (S)
Mr. Speaker! It is important that we have this debate. We must talk about how things look on the ground. Just as the Foreign Minister highlighted in his answer, it is important that Ukraine's wishes should be guiding and that Sweden supports Ukraine's national coordination. It is, of course, a completely correct starting point.
If one looks at the reintegration process in the field, it appears that there are complex networks. Families often have to navigate between the different organizations and authorities themselves to get help. For a parent who is trying to get their child home, it actually doesn't matter which organization has the responsibility. What matters is that the child comes home and gets help.
Today, the work is being carried out through several parallel tracks, namely Ukrainian authorities, international organizations, civil society, and various state initiatives. Many incredibly important efforts are being made, but the recurring picture is that the work becomes fragmented and that responsibility risks falling between the cracks. This is absolutely no criticism of individual actors, but what I am trying to describe is a consequence of how complex the situation is. And that leads to my next question.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed in his response that the efforts being made today are not sufficient and cannot be sufficient until the children are back. I can only agree with that. But I wonder what the Minister for Foreign Affairs thinks about the role Sweden can have as a driver to further strengthen international coordination of Ukraine's work. What role can Sweden have to ensure that reunification can happen faster and families are not left to bear the responsibility themselves to find ways to get their children home?
Carina Ödebrink (S)
Mr. Speaker! When I met representatives from authorities and organizations working with children in Ukraine, a question was raised. It was the Ukrainian police who wanted to know how many unaccompanied Ukrainian children there are in Sweden. According to the National Board of Health and Welfare, there should be approximately 240. They also wanted to know how many of them have fled from re-education camps. Ukrainian authorities, especially the police, were eager to develop cooperation in that matter. That is a message from me.
The messages to me from those I have met as special envoys have been clear: Talk about the children! Ensure that their situation is included in all contexts regarding Russia's illegal war against Ukraine – which is also a war that Ukraine fights on our behalf.
Furthermore, we must continue to maintain firm pressure on sanctions against Russia, and Sweden's contribution to reintegrating the children needs to continue to be strong and comprehensive. I also believe that Sweden, together with other countries within the coalition, should be leading for the Ukrainian children regarding the continued activities at Yale University. There, we must also influence the USA so that they resume the support.
In conclusion: In December, I listened to the OSCE Ministerial Council. I became concerned, Mr. Speaker, given the deprioritization that the USA is signaling today regarding human rights and democracy. I believe that the Foreign Minister should be clear about where Sweden stands regarding the OSCE's activities.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Mr. Speaker! Regarding Yale and Humanitarian Research Lab, which Carina Ödebrink raised, we have discussed it in the chamber previously. We are well aware of the organization's major financial challenges. But at the moment, the lab can, as stated, continue its work with the help of private donations, and no application for funds has yet been submitted to UD. If it is submitted, we will, of course, take a position on it.
One of the biggest challenges in the work of returning the children is that we are dealing with an aggressive and manipulative counterparty. Russia refuses to provide information about the children. They obstruct repatriation processes, and they block humanitarian access. Russian authorities bear the greatest responsibility for these crimes and must be held accountable.
Sweden is particularly proactive. We are actively working for accountability for Russia's aggression and the crimes that were committed. This is done through both political and financial support for accountability through the International Criminal Court, ICC, through the UN, EU and OSCE, which have a very important mission, as well as through civil society organizations.
In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against President Putin and against children's rights commissioner Lvova-Belova with reference to the illegal abduction and forced displacement of children. But until justice is served and the children have returned, it is necessary with more sanction listings to stop the abuses. No one who has been involved in forcibly taking a Ukrainian child from their home shall be able to escape consequences.
In October, the government welcomed a new EU criterion that makes it possible to sanction individuals and actors who participate in the illegal deportation and forced displacement of children or in their indoctrination. There are reports suggesting that the sanctions have already had an effect in Belarus.
Azra Muranovic (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to raise another aspect regarding the deported and forcibly displaced children. It is about the fact that children absolutely must not become a bargaining chip.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has almost been ongoing for four full years. One day it will come to an end. Everything comes to an end. Then it is incredibly important to think about the children who have already been subjected to brainwashing, to militarization, to having had their identities stolen, and for a mass of other trauma-related things.
When the negotiations finally get underway, there is always a risk that different issues will be weighed against each other. In that case, it is crucial that children's rights do not become a point in a political compromise. Children must not become a bargaining chip in the peace process.
The Minister previously pointed out that Sweden's support for the development of Ukraine's child protection system is crucial. But we see that children returning often carry these deep traumas and that the support must function long-term at the local level and reach every single child.
My concluding questions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs are: How does the government intend to act to ensure that the return of children absolutely does not become dependent on political compromises in a peace process? And how does Sweden ensure that the support being built up in Ukraine will reach the children long-term at the local level?
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Mr. Speaker! I truly agree with Azra Muranovic. That was also why we were shocked when we first saw the draft of the 28-point plan, which meant that accountability of Russia was actually negotiated away. That must not happen. They must be held accountable for the heinous crimes they have committed. I truly agree with that. We will stand up for it in every situation. In the bilateral dialogues we have, we also clearly state that it is a requirement that cannot be negotiated away.
In conclusion, I want to mention the aid, which has also come up here. The civilian support to Ukraine amounts to approximately 21.6 billion. It is an amount that, of course, requires careful scrutiny. We work for transparency through requirements for clear reporting also from partner organizations. It is important that the money we give really makes a difference for children and others in Ukraine.
Part of Sweden's aid also goes towards strengthening the Ukrainian justice system in order to increase transparency and reduce corruption. EU integration is a clear driver for the reforms, and Sweden continues to be a driving voice in this work.
I would like to thank you for the debate. I am incredibly grateful for the great support for Ukraine that exists in Sweden and in this chamber, and that the issue of the abducted children, which is perhaps the worst crime committed during this war, also continues to stand high on the agenda. Many thanks!
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.