Flanders stops intercountry adoptions from Vietnam. An initial screening round of five countries of origin shows that there are insufficient guarantees that malpractice with adoptions from Vietnam is excluded, concludes Flemish Minister of Health and Welfare Hilde Crevits. The light is green for adoptions from Portugal, Colombia and South Africa. There will be an additional site visit for Kazakhstan. The screening of 15 other countries of origin is still ongoing.
After reports of malpractice with intercountry adoptions from Ethiopia in 2019, the Flemish government decided to set up an expert panel on intercountry adoptions. After the publication of the final report of that panel, former Minister of Welfare Wouter Beke (CD&V) decided to have the cooperation with all countries of origin screened. This screening, in which adoptees and the intercountry adoption services were also heard, was supposed to help prevent abuses in the future.
Five countries were part of the first round of screening: Portugal, Colombia, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. The screening gave the green light for Portugal, Colombia and South Africa. Adoption cooperation remains possible for those countries. Kazakhstan turns orange. This means that an on-site visit is necessary before a final decision can be made.
Red for Vietnam
The light is on red for one country: Vietnam. "There is too little confidence to be able to say that abuses can be ruled out," says Minister Crevits. "That says nothing about past adoptions, but new adoptions are excluded.”