Return abducted Ukrainian children
Petitioners ask Canada to press Russia, using sanctions and diplomacy, to immediately return all Ukrainian children unlawfully deported or transferred. The government responds it co‑chairs a coalition and pursues sanctions and diplomacy.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, potentially accelerating safe returns of unlawfully deported children.
- It aligns Canada with an existing international coalition and supports coordinated tracing, reintegration and accountability efforts.
- It prioritizes child protection and family reunification, aiming to reverse forced transfers and uphold international humanitarian law.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Returns are logistically complex and may require trusted intermediaries and sustained diplomacy, so additional pressure may not yield immediate results.
- Expanded sanctions, arrests and asset seizures may have high political and economic costs and could complicate broader diplomacy.
- Focused legal or humanitarian channels might be more effective than broad punitive measures in securing safe, long-term returns and reintegration.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Russia has (since its invasion of Ukraine in 2014) abducted more than 20,000 Ukrainian children and it has “stolen” (“Russianized”) their identity, and President Putin and his Commissioner (Maria Lvova-Belova), have been indicted by the International Criminal Court, for this “crime against humanity” and it has issued warrants for their arrest; An International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, has been established by 40 countries (with Canada and Ukraine being its Co-Chairs); and Only a few children (1,000 to 1,600) have been “recovered”/returned, by various means, thus far, it is vital that citizens of Canada express their massive outrage and their demand for Russia to return ALL the abducted children to Ukraine. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to widely condemn and publicize the atrocity of these abductions and to call for Russia to immediately return all of the abducted children back to Ukraine. Further, by whatever lawful means and pressures (economic and political) are possible, the Government of Canada should increase sanctions, arrests and seizures of Russian assets and other reprisals, in order to achieve the immediate return of all the abducted children.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant Since the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, and particularly following the full-scale invasion in 2022, credible reports indicate that thousands of Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred by the Russian Federation from or within the territory of Ukraine that it illegally occupies. These actions violate international humanitarian law. The Government of Canada shares the profound concern of Canadians regarding these grave violations and unequivocally condemns them. The Government of Canada has been clear and consistent in condemning these acts and has actively worked through diplomatic channels, multilateral engagement and international assistance programming to support Ukraine’s efforts to secure the safe return of children and to ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration. In this regard, Canada co-chairs, alongside Ukraine, the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. The Coalition brings together 43 partner states and three international organizations to coordinate diplomatic efforts; strengthen data and tracing mechanisms; support rehabilitation and reintegration; and advance accountability. Through sustained diplomatic engagement, sanctions, and other measures, Coalition members continue to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to cooperate on returns. The Government of Canada works closely with Ukrainian authorities to ensure all efforts are aligned with Ukraine’s priorities and needs and guided by the best interests of the child. Complementing this work, the Working Group on the Human Dimension was launched in 2024 in Kyiv by the Ambassadors of Canada and Norway, together with the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. The Working Group addresses the broader humanitarian consequences of Russia’s war, including efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, unlawfully detained civilians, and deported children, grounded in international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Canada has also taken concrete steps to elevate this issue internationally at the highest political levels. In September 2025, the Prime Minister of Canada co-hosted, alongside the President of Ukraine, a High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. The meeting brought together over 50 delegations, nearly half at the level of Heads of State and Government and reaffirmed the shared humanitarian imperative of returning and reintegrating Ukrainian children. Multilateral action has reinforced these efforts. In December 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on the return of Ukrainian children, co-facilitated by Ukraine, the European Union, and Canada. Adopted during the 11th Emergency Special Session with 91 votes in favour, 12 against, and 57 abstentions, the resolution calls on the Russian Federation to immediately, safely, and unconditionally return all unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. It affirms that such forced transfers, deportations, and family separations violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The resolution also calls on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to strengthen coordination within the United Nations system to support the return of these children and to exercise his good offices, including through his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, to remain actively seized of the matter. On October 30-31, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs hosted the Montreal Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, co-chaired with the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Norway. The conference brought together representatives from 73 countries and international organizations to identify practical solutions to facilitate returns. A key outcome was the endorsement on October 31, 2024, of the Montreal Pledge now endorsed by 54 countries and organizations, committing to support returns, reintegration, and rehabilitation. The conference further strengthened the work of both the Working Group on the Human Dimension and the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. Building on this, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that Canada will host a follow-up Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension in Canada on September 28-29, 2026. This Ministerial will provide an opportunity for the international community to take stock of progress made since the launch of the Montreal Pledge in October 2024 and identify additional steps to advance the return of prisoners of war, unlawfully detained civilians, and deported children, and support their post-return rehabilitation and reintegration. Canada is backing political leadership with practical support. Through tailored investments, Canada has supported tracing, rehabilitation and reintegration initiatives in partnerships with organizations such as the United Nations Children's Fund and the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine, as well as through previous support to Hala Systems. Canada’s comprehensive response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine also includes sanctions. Since 2014, Canada has sanctioned over 3,400 individuals and entities, including those complicit in the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as in gross and systematic human rights violations. This includes Russia’s Presidential Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, as well as regional children’s rights commissioners and government-related entities and other organizations involved in violations of the rights of Ukrainian children. Canada continues to work on sanctions and other economic measures to increase pressure on Russia. Ukraine reports that approximately 2,000 children have been returned since Russia’s full-scale invasion of 2022, including 398 since the launch of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. Thousands more remain in Russian custody. Each return is complex and requires coordination, trusted intermediaries such as humanitarian actors and mediating states, and sustained political pressure. Canada will continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to secure safe returns that put the best interests of the child first and reject any attempt to turn children into bargaining tools. Canada remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The protection of children and the reunification of families are essential components of a just and lasting peace.