Europe Heading for New Markets Romania used as Battering ramLast Monday the European Parliament debated about a proposed resolution for intra European adoptions, especially to reopen adoptions from Romania. Nothing has created more tension in the European Adoption debate politically, as the closure of Romania at the beginning of this century. It seems that the European Parliament and also many allied organisations within Europe has forgotten the history and the need for immediate halt of Romanian Adoptions early 2000.
Within three years Romania lost more than 9000 of its inhabitants for the international adoption market. Most adoptions where irregular and also uncontrollable due to the fact that the speed and need to fly the children out of the country had more priority then follow the necessary care and understanding the long term consequences for the country, their citizens and the created adoptees .
The 'Babylift' from Romania was an clear extension of the modern institutionalised international practise of childtrafficking for intercountry adoptions since major receiving countries put their political interest in the arena. Also adoption agencies seemed to get direct access to the European political Arena. So showed Italy huge interest in the Romanian case by a petition filed by their biggest Adoption Agency Amici dei Bambini: which called for the reopening of international adoptions by Romania. This backed up by France and Spain.
But others like Victor Bostinaru opposed the pressure by stating that:
That “opening the gates for international adoptions in Romania, has meant creating an unprecedented network of child trafficking, including cases of kidnapping children and selling them to the West, in collaboration with European and international organisations. ”
Understanding this and looking at the European Adoption History, the Eu has become one of the biggest receiving continents besides the US. The political aim for more adoptions - the lack of implementing Adoptee Rights, the acceptance of uncontrolled adoptions from each part of the world, the incomprehensible and lack of correct adoptions figures from most of the European countries, the million budget for animal protection and sero for unwed mothers and adoptees, the political coalition between the biggest receivers and the brutal violations of international child and adoption treaties by members of parliament of different countries who adopted outside the normal adoption procedures (Schelfhout (B), Miliband (UK), Schroder (D), etc.) and other political celebrities wanting to adopt like Carla Bruni the wife of France President Sarkozy - will keep the market for unregulated adoptions open.In concluding his intervention in the plenary, Victor Bostinaru asked Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship and Vice President of the European Commission Viviane Reding to clarify the allegations published in Romanian and international media regarding the establishment of a European Agency for Adoption.
According to revelations in the press in December last year, the European Commission pressured the law firm appointed to draw up a report on the status of adoptions in the 27 EU member states to include the conclusion that there is a need for the establishment of a European Adoption Agency.This agency should be followed to unite all the lobby mechanisms in order to force Romania to reopen international adoptions.
Now the internal markets within the own West European Countries diminish, the search for white infants has to be settled in new European Community members of weaker former East European countries. Since Romania closed down their supply to the west, this was an act of historical importance. Not only showed an former East (read, Communistic) European country opposition to the west but also the fasttrack adoptions where halted from a popular country for western adoption agencies due to the fact, that this was one of the biggest chances to get white children. As all adoption watchers know, white infants are the most popular next to Asian girls.
HUMAN RIGHTS SOLD FOR ADOPTION
For many years, United Adoptees International protest against the practise of intercountry adoption based on breaking the rules of engagement regarding International Human Rights and the International Convention for the Rights for Children and creating international treaties to establish easier ways to adopt children from economic or socially impoverished societies with lack of regulated legislation to protect the vulnerable.
The UAI condemns this practice and sees this as an act of exploitation even when the international community presents this as save haven for children in need.
The UAI believes also, if the international community really believes in the well being of children and their families, the implementation of an independent international taskforce to see upon control of implementation of children rights in each country where other countries adopt from, the adjustment of the international criminal law with a new paragraph for punishing childtrafficking trough the whole adoption chain, and the protection, support of adoptees legally and financially should be commenced.
To conclude, if the international community really believes that adoption is in the best interest of children and should primarily not happen, than act to support those who fight for dignity and self and family preservation and let adoptees not standing alone in their fight for Human Rights.
- August/September 2009
- INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION Child Protection or a Breach of Rights?
- EDITORIAL Who are the 143 Million Orphans?
- ADOPTING HAITIAN ORPHANS: Saving Children or Repeating Unsuccessful History?
- EDITORIAL Trading in Babies
- Korea to Haiti: Lessons in Overseas Adoption Corruption
- THE PRICE WE ALL PAY Human Trafficking in International Adoption
- PPL Comments
