Majority has turned against minister: Now she will 'discuss' expansion of adoption investigation

The Minister of Social Affairs will have detailed how an expanded investigation will be financed.

After previously refusing to expand an investigation into the area of ​​adoption, Minister of Social Affairs Sophie Hæstorp Andersen (S) will now enter into dialogue with the opposition.

She does this after the opposition gathered a domestic political majority on Thursday for an expanded investigation , which is not only a historical investigation, but also a legal assessment.

- Now I have heard the desire from the opposition parties to expand the investigation, and I look forward to getting more details on exactly what they agree on and how they envision it being financed, says Sophie Hæstorp Andersen.

Question: So you won't rule out expanding it?

- The government is already ready to launch a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the adoption system, which includes all countries from which children have been adopted to Denmark, and also sheds light on how the mediation has taken place and thus also the role of the Danish authorities.

- That's why I also hope that we can agree to put the money to work where it can make a difference. I would of course like to discuss with the opposition parties what is needed for us to get started with that work.

Refused to open adoption proceedings

In the fall of 2023, the Danish Parliament decided to allocate 12.6 million kroner for an impartial investigation of international adoptions to Denmark, after the area has been characterized by turmoil in recent years.

However, that proved not to be enough for a united opposition.

In October 2024, the opposition put forward a wish that the investigation should also be able to place responsibility on Danish authorities or adoption agencies in cases where children have come to Denmark against the will of their biological parents.

At the time, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen rejected the request. Because it would not make sense to open 23,000 adoption cases, which would be necessary in order to be able to place responsibility, it was said.

Plural to expand investigation

Now a united opposition has reiterated its wish, which this time is a demand. Unlike in October 2024, it is now a domestic political majority of 88 seats that is behind the demand for an expansion of the investigation.

The opposition has summoned the minister to a question-and-answer debate in the Folketingshallen. Here, the opposition will be able to adopt a proposal to expand the investigation with its majority.

The opposition is again trying to expand the investigation after a South Korean commission concluded on Wednesday that the South Korean government has violated the basic human rights of adoptees.

If the adoption survey is to be expanded, however, more money will have to be found, and it will take longer, says the Minister of Social Affairs, who wants the opposition to explain how it can be financed.

- If we have to go down and review several thousand adoption cases, it is clear that it will also take significantly longer than what has been planned so far, where we have had to take random samples and ensure that a representative sample of the adoptees' cases is uncovered.

- So it's something completely different we're talking about, says Sophie Hæstorp Andersen.