Russian girl searched by French police has dual nationality - Samara children's ombudsman
SAMARA. Jan 17 (Interfax) - Whether the girl who was searched by the French police and found in Samara should be deported or transported is not an issue, the child is a national of both countries, the Samara regional children's ombudsman Tatyana Kozlova told Interfax on Friday.
"The request was only for finding the girl, which, I understand, was based on the application by the girl's father, a French citizen. Not deportation or transportation. Certain coordinates were outlined in this search from the start. The fact that she was in Samara. The child has been found. The mother was not hiding her. The child has dual nationality," Kozlova said.
This is why all joint actions by the staff at all agencies involved in the situation will rely primarily on the child being a Russian citizen, she said.
"Should the mother request our [the ombudsman's] support, we will take part in this situation. Should the mother feel content with cooperation with bailiffs, because there is some court ruling, and think it unnecessary for someone else to step in, then there might be no need for it. In general, we will take guidance from cooperation with bailiffs," Kozlova said.
It was reported that, following the start of enforcement proceedings by the Russian Education Ministry's department of child protection policy, bailiffs located the address of the six-year-old girl who by the French police. Currently she lives with her mother in Samara.