Understanding

Understanding family separation.

Plain-language explanations of the situations that separate families — informational only, with links to official resources. This is not legal advice.

What is international parental abduction?

International parental abduction (also called international parental kidnapping or wrongful retention) is the taking or keeping of a child across an international border by a parent or family member in violation of another parent’s custody rights. It is a legal concept, not a judgment about families.

The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction provides a civil mechanism for return of children wrongfully removed or retained between Contracting States. It does not decide custody on the merits.

Official resources

What is wrongful retention?

Wrongful retention is keeping a child in a country (or with a person) beyond the terms of a custody/access arrangement or legal order, in violation of the other parent’s rights.

Resources: the HCCH Convention text above, and per-country Central Authorities (see the safe public resources index).

Who can help internationally?

National Central Authorities — one per Contracting State, per the HCCH status table
Interpol Yellow Notices (locating persons)
ICMEC (global missing-children coordination)
ISS (family tracing / social service)
In the US: State Dept IPCA, NCMEC, and DOJ
In the UK: GOV.UK guidance and Reunite
In Canada: Justice Canada
In the EU: 116000 and Missing Children Europe

Separation types overview

Families can be separated by: parental abduction; wrongful retention; immigration/visa barriers; refugee/migration displacement; detention or deportation; disaster/conflict displacement; institutional obstacles; estrangement. This list is descriptive — it is not a classification of any particular family.

How to check a resource is trustworthy

Prefer official government and intergovernmental domains (.gov, .int, .gov.uk, .gc.ca, and similar).
Check the “Last updated” date; look for official letterhead or agency name.
Cross-check the same fact on two independent authoritative sources.
Be wary of sites asking for personal data or money; never send case documents to unverified addresses.
This project’s own public pages are informational and do not collect data.

This is not legal advice. These pages provide general information and links to official resources. For questions about a specific situation, contact the relevant official authority or a qualified professional.

Privacy notice for visitors: Project Katia is a developing humanitarian initiative. This website provides general information and links to official resources. It is not a law firm, government service, emergency service, or case-management provider, and it does not collect or accept personal case information. Do not send children’s records, identity documents, court files, medical information, or sensitive case evidence through this website.