UN accuses Russia of violating principles for protecting refugee children

The director of the United Nations Refugees Agency (UNHCR), Philippo Grandi, has accused Moscow of fundamental violations of child protection principles, giving Russian passports to unaccompanied refugee children.

He said Russia is placing these children for adoption by Russian families, so U n NHCR will try to access them and find solutions for their best interest.

But Grandy admitted that he does not know the exact number of these children.

In a war state, you cannot know exactly whether children have family or stewards. Therefore, until this becomes clear, you cannot grant them another nationality or to be adopted by another family”, says Grandi of the BBC, escorts Kankosova.tv.

According to UNHCR's latest data, nearly three million refugees from Ukraine have registered in Russia, more than in any other European state, and the number of children among these refugees remains unclear.

However, a Ukrainian presidential adviser has stated a few days ago that nearly 14,000 children have been deported to Russia from the occupied areas of Ukraine and accused them of kidnapping them. But the Kremlin has denied these charges.

Grandi indicated that UNHCR is looking for access to Russia all the time but so far this effort has resulted in sporadic and scarce.

Grandi's reaction comes after the UN senior official's concern a few months ago that Ukrainian children were taken from orphanages in the eastern Donba region and <x0 violence is being deported to Russia”