Photo: Verkhovna Rada / Telegram
Ukrainian MPs delayed the process with pointless proposals.
On Tuesday, February 10, the Verkhovna Rada approved in its second reading government bill No. 12353 on the mandatory evacuation of children and other civilians from active combat zones, after more than a year of discussions.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Bohdan Drap’iatyi noted on Facebook that this long-overdue legislation had been a necessary initiative. The law stipulates that decisions on the mandatory evacuation of civilians from areas of active hostilities are made by military administrations upon the recommendation of military command.
Mandatory evacuation of children is carried out together with one parent or a legal guardian, with the involvement of guardianship authorities and the National Police of Ukraine. Decisions on forced evacuation are coordinated with the Coordination Headquarters for Evacuation Measures.
If parents refuse to comply, the National Police carry out the evacuation and transfer the children to guardianship authorities in safe areas. On territories subject to mandatory evacuation, restrictions on entry and presence may also be imposed.
The Cabinet of Ministers initially submitted bill No. 12353 to parliament at the end of December 2024. Drap’iatyi described the law in detail in ZN.UA in his article, “The Dilemma of Forced Evacuation: Between the Right to Choice and the Right to Life,” noting that it took a year for the Rada to finally pass this important legislation.
As previous examples, such as the rapid repeal or restoration of the independence of NABU and SAP, have shown, laws can technically be passed in just a couple of days. In this case, however, the number of children who have died or been injured due to parents’ refusal to evacuate in time is impossible to calculate.
According to ZN.UA, some MPs intentionally delayed the adoption of the law by raising meaningless proposals, even when everyone was urging a decision. For instance, they suggested legally regulating the “forced evacuation not only of children but of the entire population.” However, such a measure is not feasible due to the limitations of security forces and the practical challenges of relocating, accommodating, and providing decent living conditions for such large numbers of people.
