Published 2 October 2024 at 11.10
Domestic. The government's investigator, Anna Singer, will propose a ban on international adoptions to Sweden. But the issue is considered very sensitive and the publication of the investigation has been postponed until after Christmas, Expressen reports.
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The proposal comes after several reports of irregularities within the the international adoption business, especially in countries like Chile where children were adopted without the parents' consent.
The current inquiry was appointed in 2021 under the previous government to review whether Sweden's rules for international adoptions need to be tightened to strengthen legal certainty and protect the children .
During 2023, 73 children were adopted to Sweden, a sharp decrease from around 1,000 adoptions per year in the early 2000s. The investigation points out that despite the fact that the number of adoptions has decreased, the risks of child trafficking and other irregularities remain. A ban would, according to the investigation, also reduce the risk of children losing their identity and of children being exploited or ending up in inappropriate adoption processes.
This is a very sensitive proposal. According to Expressen, the commission has chosen to postpone the publication of the report until after the Christmas holidays to avoid it evoking strong reactions among adoptees and their families during a sensitive time of the year. The investigation also proposes that crisis and conversation support should be offered to adoptees and their families in order to deal with the emotional impact that the proposal may have.
However, the proposal has met opposition from, among others, the Adoption Center, which believes that the investigation already decided early on advocate a ban without carefully considering other options. According to the Adoptionscentrum, it would be better to strengthen control and security in the adoption process than to ban international adoptions completely.