Can I adopt a refugee child from Ukraine?

It is not possible to adopt children from Ukraine. These children are in Poland for safety reasons. When it is possible, they will return to their country, where their relatives are fighting for their future. These people will surely take care of them as soon as possible. Formally and legally, in order to adopt a child, you must undergo the adoption procedure and qualify in the Adoption Center. For a child to be adopted, it must be an orphan or its parents must be deprived of parental authority. We do not know the situation of refugee children and most often we do not have any legal documents confirming their legal status. In order to adopt a child from another country – these countries must have signed appropriate agreements. The agreement between Poland and Ukraine stipulates that the adoption of a child by a Polish family is possible only with the consent of the Ukrainian side. Additionally, in 1995, the High Commissioner for Refugees at the United Nations prohibited the adoption of children from countries affected by the war. Poland signed a so-called memorandum with Ukraine, where it also pledged to desist from any actions that could nationalize Ukrainian children in Poland, including through adoption.