Commission votes against ban on international adoptions

• Adoptions of children from abroad should continue to be permitted in the future.
• The responsible National Council committee opposes a ban planned by the Federal Council.
• Instead, she wants to improve controls on international adoptions.

The National Council's Legal Affairs Committee (RK-N) passed a corresponding motion by 19 votes to 6, according to parliamentary services. The National Council will then decide on the matter.

The majority of the commission wants the Federal Council to "immediately" revisit its fundamental decision from the beginning of the year and, instead of banning international adoptions, increase oversight and transparency. This is intended to reduce the risk of abuse. The argument against a ban is that it would stigmatize adopted persons and their families, according to the statement from the RK-N.

Federal Council looks abroad

At the end of January, the Federal Council announced its intention to ban the adoption of children from abroad. The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) was tasked with preparing a corresponding consultation draft by the end of 2026 at the latest. A group of experts concluded that abuses could not be ruled out. Such abuses must no longer occur, said Justice Minister Beat Jans. A ban is the best way to protect all those affected, especially children.

The Netherlands completely stopped international adoptions in May 2024. Efforts to do so are also underway in Belgium, France, and Norway, among others. These ranged from restricting the countries of adoption to a temporary halt.

Legend:Documents of children who have been given up for adoption in Guatemala.Keystone / AP Photo, Moises Castillo

According to the report adopted by the Federal Council in January, international adoptions have declined sharply in recent years. Currently, there are around 30 per year, compared to several hundred previously.

The expert panel also addressed the question of how important it is for adopted people to obtain information about their birth families. Those affected must definitely have the opportunity to obtain the necessary information, the report stated. The Legal Affairs Commission also intends to address this issue. The new proposal calls for strengthening the right of adopted people to know their ancestry and to receive support in tracing their origins, the motion states.

Abuses up to the turn of the millennium

In Switzerland, there have been serious irregularities in international adoptions in the past. Between 1970 and 1999, several thousand children from abroad were likely brought to Switzerland for adoption through child trafficking, forged documents, missing information about their origins, or other illegal practices.

This was shown by a report by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in December 2023. According to the Federal Council, illegal adoptions continued into the last decade. According to research reports by the federal and cantonal governments, many children from illegal adoptions come from countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Korea, Sri Lanka, and Romania.