A new study shows that the extent of illegal adoptions from abroad to Switzerland may be significantly greater than assumed. We are talking about forged documents and mafia-like structures in different countries of origin.
Hundreds of children were taken from their parents in Sri Lanka from the 1970s to the 1990s and placed as adoptive children in countries such as Switzerland, often using false identities. When this long-standing practice became known four years ago, it caused a wave of outrage throughout Switzerland. Now a report commissioned by the Federal Council as a result of the research shows that the scandal surrounding the adopted children from Sri Lanka may have only been the tip of the iceberg.
In several thousand other cases, irregularities may have occurred during this time, according to the report published by the Federal Council on Friday. It was written by Nadja Ramsauer, Rahel Bühler and Katja Girschik from the Institute for Childhood, Youth and Family at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). The authors examined adoptions from ten countries in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. Most of the children came from India, Colombia, Brazil and Korea.
Agent collects $3,000 to $5,000 for a child
In these and six other countries there is numerous evidence of illegal practices, forged documents, missing origin information and child trafficking. According to the report, it is no longer possible to determine how many adopted children are affected. However, based on the entry permits issued during this period, the authors assume that there are several thousand people affected. Irregularities and misconduct did not only occur in the countries of origin. The authorities in Switzerland and the diplomatic missions in the countries are also said to have brushed aside information.