Swedish Ministry to ACT: Re: Your questions on adoptions from foster care

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Ulrik Stenberg

Date: Tue 14. Jul 2020 at 14:15

Subject: Re: Re: Your questions

To: info@againstchildtrafficking.org

Dear Mr. Dohle,

As Jonas Hägerlind is not in the office I am making a reply to your e-mail.

MFoF do not make statements on the subject when adoptions from foster care are appropriate or when they are not. As Jonas mentioned MFoF have found that the adoption laws in Serbia are matching with UNCRC and the Hague Convention, and that Serbia applies the principle of subsidiarity. You are writing that Serbia does in fact not comply to UNCRC and the principle of subsidiarity, and that it can be seen by investigating the cases of Adoptionscentrum.

We are taking your opinions into consideration in the continuous work with authorization and supervision. If you have information about malpractice in specific cases you are welcome to share information with us.

Regards,

Ulrik Stenberg

Specialist Officer, MFoF

Från: ACT

Skickat: torsdag 9 juli 2020 09:47

Till: Jonas Hägerlind

Ämne: Re: Your questions

Dear Mr. Hägerlind,

thank you for your reply.

I asked the questions exactly in order to find out whether the subsidiarity principle under the UNCRC is respected.

Sweden does as you say respect the UNCRC and does not free children for intercountry adoptions who are in foster care. That in line with the UNCRC

However Serbia for example does do that as they implemented the Hague Adoption Convention.

Could you tell me when and under which circumstances MFoF considers adoptions from foster care appropriate ?

We are of course aware about Adoptionscentrum mediating children from Serbia and earlier from Montenegro too. In fact we complained about it some years ago to the European Commission and thereafter Montenegro stopped exporting children.

The children came from Bijela and it was an EU funded project. The EU funds were meant to strengthen local care / foster care.

However Serbia went ahead and allowed it.

I kindly request you to inspect the cases of Adoptionscentrum. This will give you also the possibility to answer my question concretely.

Then you will see that several children were in foster care in Serbia before being adopted to sweden.

That is a violation of the the subsidiarity principle under the UNCRC.

The Hague Adoption Convention though does permit it.

There is an apparent conflict between these 2 conventions and the higher convention is the UNCRC. Or does MFoF see this differently?

Thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards

Arun Dohle

www.againstchildtrafficking.org

On Wed 8. Jul 2020 at 19:51, Jonas Hägerlind wrote:

Dear Mr Dohle

Since Per Sundberg is out of office i will answer your questions.

You requested certain statistics regarding adopted. Unfortunately we do not keep such statistics on adopted in Sweden.

You have questions regarding Montenegro and Serbia.

MFoF is normally not involved in specific adoptions. When it comes to intercountry adoptions, the main role of the Authority is to authorize and supervise the non-government organizations (accredited bodies, AAB:s).

There is currently no AAB that is authorized to work in Montenegro.

One AAB has authorization to intermediate adoptions from Serbia.

When MFoF authorized the AAB to work in Serbia MFoF found that Serbia has adoption legislation which takes into account the fundamental principles for intercountry adoption expressed in the UNCRC and in the Hague Convention. MFoF has also found that Serbia applies the principle of subsidiarity. If you have information that indicates otherwise you are welcome to share the information with MFoF.

I have no information regarding that Swedish children has been internationally adopted.

No AAB have been authorized to intermediate adoptions from the United States and we have no application regarding this country.

I will be out of office in the coming weeks.

All communication with MFoF shall be sent to info@mfof.se.

Best regards

_______________________

Jonas Hägerlind

General Counsel

+ 46 10 190 10 85

Myndigheten för familjerätt och föräldraskapsstöd, MFoF

Family Law and Parental Support Authority

Box 35, 931 21 Skellefteå, SWEDEN

+46 10 190 11 00

www.mfof.se

Med vänlig hälsning

______________________

Ulrik Stenberg

Utredare

08-545 556 82

076-501 47 17

ulrik.stenberg@mfof.se

Myndigheten för familjerätt och föräldraskapsstöd, MFoF

Box 35, 931 21 Skellefteå

08-545 556 80

www.mfof.se

MFoF är en statlig kunskapsmyndighet med ansvar för familjerätt, föräldraskapsstöd och familjerådgivning. Vi arbetar också för att internationella adoptioner till Sverige ska ske på ett lagligt och etiskt godtagbart sätt. MFoF är personuppgiftsansvarig för behandlingen av dina personuppgifter. Vi behandlar dina personuppgifter för att kunna kommunicera med dig. Läs gärna hela vår information om behandling av personuppgifter på vår webbplats. MFoF:s dataskyddsombud är Simon Jernelöv, Dso.mfof@jpinfonet.se 08-4626560

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Best regards,

Arun Dohle

www.againstchildtrafficking.org

For Indian adoptees: Roots searches

www.adopteerightscouncil.org

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