“For almost three years, migration is constantly in a full -scale war in Ukraine. Every year it acquires new dynamics and features. In particular, common cases where parents export teenage boys abroad because they fear that the state will reduce the mobilization age. In Ukraine, boys from 16 years old are obliged to take up military registration until they are not yet 17. Guys”, – WRITE ON: ua.news
For almost three years, migration is constantly in a full -scale war in Ukraine. Every year it acquires new dynamics and features. In particular, common cases where parents export teenage boys abroad because they fear that the state will reduce the mobilization age.
In Ukraine, boys from 16 years old are obliged to take up military registration until they are not yet 17. The boys are attributed to the conscript site and entered their data in the Oberig Register.
UA.news tells how the migration of 16-17-year-old guys is organized, whether the state notice this trend and what risks threaten children who are forced to migrate without parents.
What does official statistics on the departure of high school students say
More than 30 million times Ukrainians crossed the border in 2024. According to data The State Border Service, 2% of the citizens who left last year did not return-this is about 443 thousand, which is three times more than in 2023.
Official migration statistics do not reveal the age and gender of those who left. Direct questions about the departure of high school students also do not give clear answers.
May 27 Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovy recognized There are cases where children go abroad after the 11th grade, but this phenomenon is not massive.
“I would not say it is massive, but there is a trend. Of course, we have a series of ideas how to relieve such a negative trend without bringing it to the level of threat ” – the minister said, noting that migration, and not only high school students, is primarily related to security in Ukraine.
Nadiya Leshchyk’s educational Ombudsmenko also says that there are no exact departure of children, but this issue is periodically discussed with educators at the level of regions and communities. It is said that in 10-11 grades one number of children begins to study, and the classes are completely different. In this case, children are not calculated from schools, but switch to distance learning.
“According to statistics, 312 490 people were registered at the NMT this year. This is 18% less than last year. 20 071 The child tests abroad. Most of the countries where our youth go do not need a NMT test. More often, the decision to leave with the child is made by parents. I spoke with my parents who made such decisions and they paid attention to the ambiguity of mobilization applications from the age of 18. But not only 17-year-old guys but also girls go abroad, ” – She noticed In an interview Nadiya Leschik.
According to her, payment for contractual education in higher education institutions, which can also contribute to traveling abroad.
What show research among adolescents
A certain trend in the departure of young men abroad is observed in the international network of Caritas charitable organizations, which helps internal displaced persons and people seeking protection in other countries.
“Parents are worried about their children, because the situation in Ukraine continues to remain unstable and no one has an accurate answer how long the war can continue. Therefore, we see such a trend that for the most part for boys 15-16 years begin to see a school, college or university abroad. Basically choose Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, for those who know German – Germany, Austria, Hungary, ”, – says Irina Mayevskaya, the head of the program “Safe Migration and Combating Trafficking in Human” Caritas of Ukraine.
To find out how many teenagers think about traveling abroad and what factors affect such a decision, a charity conducted a study in the network of representative offices in 14 regions of Ukraine. In the period from April 6 to April 26, 2025, volunteers interviewed 622 respondents: children 14-17 years old who had previously received different types of assistance from Caritas and parents raising adolescents.
The survey showed that almost half of the teenagers (45%) are considering traveling abroad:
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10% – they plan this in the near future.
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35% – in a more distant perspective.
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29% – they do not think about moving.
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26% do not have such intention at all.
In this case, the boys show more readiness for migration than girls-both in the short and long run. Internally displaced teenagers are shown by the higher than the average tendency to exit.
Most wishing to leave in the near future, lives in Sumy (28%), Ivano-Frankivsk (26%), Chernivtsi (16%) and Kharkiv (15%) regions.
Among the respondents who consider the move in the future are the leaders of teenagers from Kharkiv (65%), Odessa (56%), Khmelnitsky (50%) and Zhytomyr (40%) regions.
The highest level of departure was recorded in Chernihiv, Volyn (44%) and Chernivtsi (40%) regions.
Prior to the departure of children are motivated: security situation (48%), desire to get education abroad (34%), better living conditions (16%), reunification with the family (5%) and other reasons (war, mobilization, travel, tourism, employment and psychological unloading, make up 7%).
The decision to go most is influenced by the personal desires and plans of children (66%), the opinion of the family (47%). Information from social networks or news affects 8%, another 6% focus on friends.
Artem’s migration history
UA.News was able to communicate with 17-year-old Artem, who left Ukraine a year ago. The border crossed without parents and now lives and studies in Poland. Here’s his story:
“It was a mother’s decision. She said, “There is no future for you. Go. ” I stayed in Ukraine, and I went to Poland, to Wroclaw. At first it was scary – himself, another country, another language. But I had no choice.
Here I was temporarily sheltered by a familiar mom. I live in her room, I help at home. I study in the lyceum, I work in parallel – I deliver food. Life has set up more or less: I prepare myself, I do the washing myself, I decide how to live on.
The hardest thing is the feeling that you are alien. Even when everything is fine outside, there is a void inside. The family, familiar things, their people are not enough.
I think about Ukraine constantly. I want everything to change. But while the war – I stay here. I learn to have a chance. I dream of entering the Polytechp and returning home – but with the experience and knowledge that is really needed.
I’m not sorry. Just fight. Daily”.
Human rights activists warn of risks for children
If parents cannot take the child abroad, they try to organize migration with acquaintances, or look for other ways. For example, such services are offered by some travel agencies: a minor son goes with his mother abroad, remains there, and his mother returns to Ukraine. Or a boy sent in a “tour to Europe” of one . Such migration options are the most risky.
Caritas volunteers who accept Ukrainian asylum seekers in several European countries, confirm which have increased cases where young men arrive unaccompanied by adults.
“Colleagues from Caritas of Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia say that… There are more cases when boys of 16-17 years of age without adults come, they form temporary protection, and then disappear. Where it is unknown. They may have promised work because in the Czech Republic from the age of 16 it is not necessary to study ”, – says Irina Mayevskaya, the head of the program “Safe Migration and Combating Trafficking in Human” Caritas of Ukraine.
According to her, abroad such young men remain promises, but not knowing the language and legislation of the country, are at risk of exploitation.
“Colleagues from Slovakia note that they often meet on the streets children unaccompanied by adults from Ukraine. It is mainly about young people aged 15 to 18, often guys. Officially, they come through agencies – both Ukrainian and Slovak – and there are cases where they are in Slovakia for months or even years, not officially registering. Having arrived in Slovakia, some agencies “forget about them”, so officially these children do not have a curator who could represent, accompany them, solve problems with housing, medical care and other needs. I know that last month Caritas Slovakia began to attract different ministries and foreign police to at least understand how many such children in the country and how to deal with this problem, ”, – the head of the Caritas Program of Ukraine emphasizes.
Irina Mayevskaya also adds that in other European countries, such a problem was not observed.
“There are compulsory training, social services work well, check information about children, putting their right to protect in the first place. It is Austria, Germany, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium. Under these conditions, you can be more confident that children will receive proper education and will not get to the illegal labor market ”, – says Mayevskaya.
Caritas calls in charitable organizations take care of safety Children while traveling abroad, including:
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To get acquainted with the legal requirements and procedures of crossing the border, the intricacies of juvenile legislation in the country of destination, to find out current rules, restrictions and requirements for residence in hostels, and more.
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Teach adolescents basic safety rules, especially when looking for a job.
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Keep copies of all important documents in a safe place and electronic format.
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Use only official sources of information and contact the proven organizations and authorized authorities to receive assistance.
Caritas human rights activists emphasize that their task is not to persuade or leave, but to make no child go to an unknown: without protection, without knowledge, without understanding the consequences. Everyone has the right to choose, and it is important that this choice is conscious, weighted and safe.
As the state responds to the problem of departure of youth abroad
The critical deterioration of the demographic situation in the country, however, forces the state to respond to the problem with the departure of 16-17-year-old boys. So far, perhaps the only attempt to influence the migration of boys, the bill was announced on the permission of traveling abroad of men up to 23-24 years.
According to a member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence of Fyodor Venislavsky, MPs are actively discussing this initiative. He stressed that the bill is aimed at maintaining ties with young people who receive a foreign education.
“For those young Ukrainians who study abroad should come to Ukraine, communicate with relatives and were not forced to stay abroad, but maintained connection with Ukraine,” – Venislavsky noted.
At the same time, he acknowledged that age issues are quite sensitive because it is difficult to determine age restrictions for the free movement of men abroad. A number of experts in ua.news comments They expressed The doubt that this project can be realized in the near future.
“It may be necessary to state the conditions: if a certain amount is mobilized, then the same amount is demobilized, for example. And it is not clear: on what conditions and for what? It will only annoy people. Especially where the guarantee that all those who go abroad in 24 years will be returned to mobilize in 25 years? ”, – said social policy expert Andrey Pavlovsky.
Also read:
Mobilization: What are the chances of men under 24 will be released abroad