Children born after their parents’ displacement want to be given back IDP status: what the Rada proposes

In Ukraine, the rules for obtaining IDP status for children born after the internal displacement of their parents may change. The Verkhovna Rada has registered draft law No. 16087, which provides for the possibility of registering such children under certain conditions, and also simplifies confirmation of the fact of displacement and access to education.

Draft law No. 16087 was registered in the parliament on September 21, 2026. As of September 24, it is being processed in the committee.

Which children will be able to obtain IDP status

One of the key changes concerns children born after one or both parents became internally displaced persons.

The draft law proposes to provide the opportunity to register such a child as an IDP if at least one of the parents was on the relevant registration on the day of his or her birth.

Cases are also provided for when one of the parents died, was declared dead, was recognized as missing or went missing under special circumstances before the birth of the child. The child will also be able to apply for registration if the parent had IDP status before the occurrence of such circumstances.

Why do they want to change the rules

The question arose due to the provisions of Law No. 4924-IX, according to which a child born after the internal displacement of one or both parents is not considered an internally displaced person.

The new draft law No. 16087 actually proposes to revise this approach even before the new regulation fully comes into force.

It will be more difficult to refuse only due to lack of registration

The authors of the draft law also propose to expand the possibilities for confirming the fact of displacement.

If the registered or declared place of residence is absent or does not correspond to the actual one, it is proposed to take into account the address where the person actually lived at the time of displacement.

In addition, the absence of a settlement in the official list of combat zones or temporarily occupied territories should not in itself be a reason for refusing IDP status if the person has other evidence of displacement.

What will happen to the child’s status if the parents lose their IDP status?

The draft law provides for certain guarantees for maintaining the child’s registration.

If, after the child is registered, one or both parents are removed from the IDP register, die, go missing, or are deprived of parental rights, this in itself will not automatically become a basis for depriving the child of the relevant status.

Children should be enrolled in school at their actual place of residence

Another important change concerns education.

Children of IDPs and other children of internally displaced persons are proposed to be guaranteed the right to preschool and complete secondary education at their actual place of residence.

The absence of a registered place of residence or an extract from the Unified Information Database on IDPs cannot be a basis for refusing to enroll a child in an educational institution.

Will documents have to be reissued

If the draft law is adopted, previously issued documents on the registration of children will remain valid and will not need to be replaced.

Accounting and payments already made should continue without re-application, re-confirmation of circumstances and demands to return legally received funds.

At the moment, this is only a draft law, so the proposed rules have not yet entered into force. According to official data from the Verkhovna Rada, the document has been sent for consideration by a specialized committee.