Mutual children can be moved abroad in one of  two ways : lawfully, by ‘relocation’ or unlawfully, by ‘abduction’. Relocation and abduction are two sides of the same coin.

A parent  who  relocates abroad with a minor after obtaining  a final court ruling granting permission to do so ,despite objections from the other parent, will be acting legally, after the court in the ‘home country’  has considered the child’s best interests.  In contrast, a parent who acts unilaterally and removes or retains a child abroad could, depending on the circumstances, be “abducting”, and risks facing  civil proceedings for the minor’s return, and even criminal proceedings.