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The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has warned that Ukrainian children unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred by Russia face serious risks of human trafficking and that such practices may fall under the definition of trafficking in human beings under the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention.
The statement was issued on the first anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights’ July 9, 2025 ruling in Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia, which found that Russia’s systematic transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia or Russian-controlled areas, including measures facilitating their adoption, violated the European Convention on Human Rights.
GRETA’s conclusions are based on a 2026 analytical report identifying recurring patterns that place deported Ukrainian children in situations of extreme vulnerability. These include transfers to closed camps and institutions under the guise of evacuation or recreation, forced labor and domestic work, placement of medically or socially vulnerable children in conditions of complete dependency, confiscation of identity documents, changes to legal status, guardianship and citizenship, and illegal adoptions.
The report notes that Ukrainian authorities have already identified several repatriated children as victims of human trafficking after determining that the legal criteria, including exploitation, had been met.
GRETA stressed that the lack of independent monitoring, restricted access to the children, and fragmented information make it difficult to document exploitation, meaning many trafficking cases may remain hidden. Nevertheless, the experts concluded that unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children remain at heightened risk because of family separation, isolation, changes to their legal status, and the absence of oversight.
The Council of Europe body also noted that the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children has extended beyond Russian-occupied territories and Russia itself to Belarus.
GRETA called on Belarus, as a party to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, to prevent trafficking risks, identify potential victims, provide assistance to affected children, and hold those responsible accountable.
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