Appeal to the President of Ukraine to Veto the Law on Evacuation from Areas of Active or Possible Hostilities

Representatives of The Coalition of organizations working to protect the rights of those affected by armed aggression against Ukraine have appealed to the President of Ukraine to veto the Law of Ukraine On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Regulating Evacuation Procedures, the Accommodation and Essential Support of Evacuees, and the Protection of Children in Settlements Located in Areas of Active or Possible Hostilities. They also request that the law be returned to the Verkhovna Rada for re-examination. The law was passed by the parliament on February 10, 2026.

A detailed analysis of the law suggests that it could lead to human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law.

Key concerns regarding the text of the law include the following:

• Under the law, the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine would be involved in evacuation operations, which breaches the standards for civilian protection during armed conflict.
  
• The law creates conditions that could lead to unjustified family separation. In practice, it treats a parent’s refusal to evacuate, or their inability to accompany a child, as grounds that could later lead to the loss of parental rights.
  
• During mandatory evacuation, National Police officers would be allowed to use coercive measures allowed by law, such as physical force, special equipment, and firearms.
  
• In effect, the law ties civilian evacuation to the needs of military operations and the construction of defense infrastructure. This creates a risk that civilians’ land, housing, and other property may be used for military purposes.

Human rights organizations emphasize that any revisions to the law must be made with the mandatory involvement of humanitarian organizations that evacuate civilians, organizations working to protect children’s rights and support war-affected people, as well as experts in international humanitarian law.

The full text of the appeal is available below.

February 27, 2026

• Charity Foundation East SOS
  
• NGO Crisis Insight
  
• Right to Protection Charitable Foundation
  
• ZMINA Human Rights Centre
  
• NGO Donbas SOS
  
• Stabilization Support Services Charitable Foundation
  
• Crimean Human Rights Group
  
• NGO Civic Holding GROUP OF INFLUENCE
  
• NGO KrymSOS

Earlier, representatives of civil society organizations working to protect the rights of those affected by armed aggression prepared a Manifesto for the Day of Resistance.