The adoption agency DIA, which is appointed by the Danish state, has paid support to their representative in Madagascar in violation of the rules, despite raised fingers. Risk of child trafficking, law professor assesses.

For six months, the Danish Appeals Board asked the adoption agency Danish International Adoption (DIA) to tighten up and adjust according to the rules. 

Yet the DIA chose to ignore the pointed fingers and stick to an illegal practice in the African island nation of Madagascar.

This is shown by over 400 pages of correspondence between the Danish Appeals Agency and DIA, which Danwatch has gained insight into.

Specifically, it is about the adoption agency's so-called adoption assistance for a number of orphanages in the poor island state. According to the rules, this kind of financial support must be paid to the Malagasy authorities, but DIA has chosen to give the money to their representative on the island instead, who has bought food and other necessities for the orphanages

Many Nigerian couples desiring to adopt babies, whether out of social responsibility or childlessness are finding it increasingly difficult to realize their objective as a result of the obstacles they are facing. Before now, it required just a formal documentation and payment of a moderate administrative fee to the caregivers, whether orphanage or social welfare of government to get a baby.

However, given the rising awareness of Nigerians about adoption and the nefarious activities of child traffickers and ritualists, demand has skyrocketed, and both the price of babies and the process have become frustrating, which is driving the business underground. Recently, there were reports of many northern children being sold to couples in the south for adoption illegally.

Child adoption is said to take lengthy of time for it to be fully completed, most experts put it at between 2 to 5 years processing period. In Lagos, to commence adoption process, the couple concerned will have to go to the Ministry of Youth and Social Welfare to collect adoption form, thereafter, there’s a slew of bureaucracy that discourages intending couple and this tends to slow the desire for formal adoption, even after paying a reasonable fees charged by the ministry.

On account of this, many couples, according to findings, tend to patronize many orphanage homes, especially the unregistered ones where the process is faster.

The registered homes often follow the Ministry’s guidelines.

Federal Minister of Justice Dr. Marco Buschmann today published two key issues papers on the modernization of family law: a key issues paper on the reform of child custody law with proposals for new rules in custody, visitation and adoption law and a key issues paper on the reform of parentage law.

Source: BMJ

In particular, children in separated families, patchwork and rainbow families as well as non-marital partnerships should benefit from the proposed new regulations.

Federal Justice Minister Dr. Marco Buschmann:

“We need a boost to modernization in Germany - also in family law. Many children today grow up in separated families, in patchwork and rainbow families or with parents who are not married to each other. Our family law lags behind this reality. Parents and children pay the price: family law makes life unnecessarily difficult for many people.

We have received many inquiries from families with adopted children who experience that the children have reactions to what they hear in the press right now. The reactions are natural, but it is wise to be in them together.

Phrases like:

• Children who are separated from their parents.
• Errors in adoptions.
• Families who do not have their children.

These are just some of the phrases that abound in the press right now about adoption. Sentences which can be very violent for many children and young people with an adoption background, and these days we have heard about children who feel ostracized by Denmark, why isn't it just wonderful that I am here? And children and young people who ask their parents about, among other things

• Are there mistakes in my adoption?
• Is there something wrong with the children?
• Is it true that I am here in Denmark?
• Can you take the children back?

Shimla, Jan 18 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday appealed the wealthier section of the society to adopt children residing in the childcare centres and provide them a safe and bright future. He visited a childcare home at Tutikandi here where Jyoti (original name withheld), residing at the centre, was adopted […]

Shimla, Jan 18 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday appealed the wealthier section of the society to adopt children residing in the childcare centres and provide them a safe and bright future.

He visited a childcare home at Tutikandi here where Jyoti (original name withheld), residing at the centre, was adopted by her new parents in the chief minister’s presence under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Sukh Ashray Yojana’.

Sukhu lauded the couple for their noble gesture and encouraging wealthier section of the society to opt for adoption.

“The government understands the problems faced by the orphans and other weaker sections of the society, therefore the Mukhya Mantri Sukh Ashray Yojana has been started in the state,” an official statement quoted him as saying. Sukhu said the state government was arduously working for the welfare of the weaker sections of the society.

A policy body recommended this week that the country halt all foreign adoptions amid allegations of stolen children, falsified paperwork and for-profit adoption schemes.

One Norwegian woman only discovered via an old letter, hidden for 50 years, that she had been taken from her Korean parents. Another was taken from her home while she was stricken with polio; a woman had arrived and said she was taking the girl to medical care but instead took her to an orphanage. Yet another woman was given up to an orphanage by a vindictive grandmother, trying to break up her son’s marriage.

In each case, the women believed for their entire lives that they had been unwanted, given up or orphaned by their biological parents. The truth, though, could not have been more different.

Theirs are but a sliver of stories that have rattled Norway’s — and, potentially, greater Europe’s — robust foreign adoptions industry. On Tuesday, one of Norway’s top policy bodies recommended a halt to all foreign adoptions amid a probe into allegations of stolen children, forged paperwork and illegal, adoption-for-profit schemes. On the same day, Denmark’s sole foreign adoption agency announced it would be winding down its own operations following similar concerns.

The recommendation in Norway, sweeping in its scope, took all sides of the adoption debate by surprise.

Northern European countries are scaling back their long-standing overseas adoption programs following reports of illegal practices, a move that will likely impact South Korea, one of the leading countries in sending babies abroad for adoption.

Norway is contemplating a temporary suspension of all international adoptions after local news outlet Verdens Gang exposed illegalities and corruption in the process of bringing in foreign-born babies to be adopted by Norwegian families. The primary countries sending babies to Norway include South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan and Colombia.

The news report claimed that an adoptee from Korea discovered, from a hidden letter, that she was taken away from her Korean biological parents 50 years ago and was sent away for adoption. In a similar case, another adoptee found out that she was secretly sent to Norway by her grandmother without the consent of a biological father.

On Tuesday, one of Norway's top policy bodies recommended a suspension in intercountry adoptions while authorities investigate the alleged document fabrication, legal violations, profiteering, and abduction involved in the process.

“Adoptions must be safe, sound and in the best interest of the child,” said Hege Nilssen, head of the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs. “Our assessment is that the risk of illegalities is real.”

The verdict is unanimous. The woman who called Celine Song Mee Nilsen (28) "damn Chinese" on Barcode has again been convicted of racism.

Last year, the accused woman was sentenced to 21 days in unconditional prison for hate speech, reckless behavior and violence against Nilsen.

The woman appealed the case , and now she has also been sentenced in the Court of Appeal.

- I am so grateful to be believed, both in the district court and the court of appeal. This shows that racism is unacceptable and that the legal system cracks down on it. Justice has prevailed, says Celine Nilsen to VG.

The woman's lawyer Kim Ellertsen tells VG that he has not had time to familiarize himself with the new sentence, and does not want to comment immediately.

The trust no longer lasted

Adoption og Samfund, like the rest of Denmark, has today become aware that DIA's board of directors has decided yesterday to wind down their activities as mediators of international adoptions.

This means that there are currently is no one to mediate any international adoptions, either ongoing or upcoming. Adoption & Society has been informed that work is being done on a plan around this, just as the minister in the area, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, has also stated in the press.

A strained relationship between the Danish authorities and DIA, the only intermediary organization for international adoption in Denmark, has now resulted in the temporary closure of international adoption to Denmark. The trust that international adoption through DIA can take place legally, ethically and morally correctly is gone, and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and the Elderly has therefore temporarily suspended all country agreements. DIA has therefore now taken the consequence and is shutting down their work as mediators of international adoption.

The trust between the Danish authorities and DIA is gone and therefore we believe in Adoption & Society that it is the right decision. For everyone's sake, not least the adopted, adoptive families, biological and foster families, etc. 

Genesis of the project:

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Over the last decades a significant number of international adoptions have taken place from abroad to France. More and more people adopted in the 80s, 90s or early 2000s feel the legitimate need to research their origins and access their right to identity.

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This research is a complex journey and not without risk. So being able to support them is today the great challenge to take up for the central authorities and all those involved in adoption as evidenced by recommendation number 31 of the special commission of July 2022 on the practical operation of the Hague Convention. 1993 on the protection of children and cooperation in matters of international adoption .