Ukrainian Girl Returns Home After Mother's Death in Czech Republic, December 2025

A Ukrainian girl who fled to the Czech Republic with her mother in the initial weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion has returned to Ukraine and reunited with her father. This follows her mother's sudden death in December 2025, as announced by Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.

After her mother's passing, Czech citizens cared for the girl until her father in Ukraine sought assistance from the ombudsman's office. The return process took six months, involving coordination with Czech authorities and preparing the child for the move. Lubinets highlighted this case as an example of successful international cooperation in a child's best interest.

The girl was among hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, predominantly women and children, who found refuge in the Czech Republic after February 2022. Lubinets's office collaborated with Ukraine's National Social Service and Czech authorities to facilitate the return. Her father, grandmother, aunts, and other relatives awaited her in Ukraine. Lubinets thanked Save the Children in Ukraine and the Czech Republic's social services for their support.

The Czech Republic hosts approximately 385,000 Ukrainians with temporary protection as of April 2026, representing the highest ratio in the EU at about 35 per 1,000 residents. Czech policy has shifted towards integration or voluntary return, with the EU extending temporary protection until March 2027.