Forced displacement from territory of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation: forcible transfer and deportation, barriers to return, and the rights of internally displaced persons, 24 February 2022 – 31 December 2025 20 March

Summary

1. This thematic report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documents the direct and indirect forcible transfers and deportations of persons from territory occupied by the Russian Federation, barriers for displaced persons to return to occupied territory, and the limitations in the ability of people displaced from occupied territory to fully exercise their rights in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine. It covers the period 24 February 2022 to 31 December 2025.
 

2. The report assesses conduct that may amount to forcible transfer or deportation under international humanitarian law (IHL), distinct from displacement caused directly by active hostilities. While many civilians fled fighting moving both internally within Ukraine and externally, the report focuses on displacement resulting from widespread and systematic discriminatory measures imposed by the occupying authorities, which deprived civilians of any genuine choice to remain in or return to occupied territory. These measures were enforced through threats, detention, torture and ill-treatment, and prosecution under laws inconsistent with IHL and international human rights law (IHRL) and had a discriminatory effect on specific groups of the population. Those affected face specific vulnerabilities compared with persons displaced solely by hostilities, in particular a heightened risk of protracted displacement.
 

3. The report documents forcible transfers and deportations of individuals perceived by the occupying authorities as disloyal or non-compliant with imposed policies, including through the peaceful and lawful expression of identity or refusal to adhere to unlawful requirements. It further analyses how legal and administrative policies in occupied areas created coercive conditions that compelled civilians to leave and impeded their return.
 

4. Displaced persons have a right to voluntary return in safety and with dignity to their homes or places of habitual residence. For these people – independently of the reason for their initial displacement – the occupying authorities’ policies and practices constitute significant barriers to return. For many, the choice is between accepting violations of their fundamental rights, or to not return at all. Extensive confiscation of private property belonging to displaced people make return even more difficult, and restrictions and bans on entry to the occupied territory block return entirely.
 

5. Compared to persons forcibly displaced within Government-controlled territory, internally displaced persons (IDPs) arriving from occupied territory faced specific barriers to the full exercise of their rights. Gaps in civil documentation, non-recognition of education credentials or work history, and limited access to housing compensation, often due to rules and procedures not adapted to the realities of occupation, created cumulative disadvantages. People-centred recovery planning requires closing these gaps to ensure equal access to services, regardless of place of origin.
 

6. The Russian Federation should discontinue all policies and practices that are not in line with IHL and IHRL and remove barriers to return for people who have been displaced, irrespective of their nationality, political opinion, cultural identity, religious affiliation or sexual orientation. The international community should ensure that peace negotiations include the meaningful consideration of the situations and interests of displaced persons and address specifically their voluntary, safe and dignified return to places of origin in occupied territory, with full respect for their human rights and international humanitarian law. In the meantime, Ukrainian authorities must implement targeted measures to protect the rights of persons displaced from occupied territory, meet their specific needs, and ensure their access to durable solutions, particularly local integration.