Friday, 22 June 2012

Adoption of Africa: the concerns of the "dramatic increase" - BBC News

There is concern some adopted children of Africa have at least one living parent, the number of African children adopted by foreign nationals of other continents has increased dramatically, a report said.


In the course of the past eight years, international adoptions has increased by almost 400%, African child policy Forum has found.


"Africa is becoming the new frontier for international adoption", said the group based in Addis Ababa.


But many African countries are not sufficient safeguards in place to protect children in adoption, he warned.

The majority of so-called adopted orphans of Africa have at least one living parent and child is trafficked or sold by their parents, child expert group said.


More than 41 000 African children were adopted and removed from the country of origin since 2004, the coastal report said.


More than two-thirds of the total in 2009 and 2010 were adopted from Ethiopia, which now sends more children than any other country outside of China for adoption abroad.

Shortage of adoptable children

"Compromising children's best interest while business adoption is likely and adoption can become an industry wide, focusing on profit, with children as the goods," said the African Child Policy Forum report.


Director of the group, David Mugabe, said that the adoption in some parts of Africa had indeed become a business.

Hannah Reimer Canadian adopted Swaziland said BBC Network Africa of his experience:

I was born in 1987 in the general hospital in Mbabane, Swaziland. My mother, who was a refugee from Mozambique, I left there.


My photo was made in the Swazi Times newspaper, asking my family for me. If person was then I would have had to go to an orphanage. But my parents were visiting my aunt, who I think is a nurse in Swaziland and they have heard of me. As said my mum, they knew that they had to do something. It took them a month to finalize the adoption. I was premature, weighing 3 lbs 6 oz and so tiny that I could fit in the Palm of his elbow, said my father.


I grew up in the Canada, this is the House that I know, and for a long time, I was one of the only black children to the school. When you are small, children did notice. But as you grow up, you have any questions on where you are, especially when realize you that you look different.


But on the flip side of that I have been incredibly blessed with family I have - and had the opportunity to return to Africa and I hope that I can return to Swaziland and Mozambique and give back to the community at any given time.

"It has an element where adoption has now become a marketed.". "And so it's an industry that some orphanages have [de] - and they are promoting adoption primarily to be able to support and maintain orphanages," he told the BBC Focus on Africa programme.


He said large sums of money were sometimes being paid by the parents.


"There was a lady who has worked with the US Embassy in Uganda and she mentioned the figures varied between $ 10,000 to $ 30,000", said Mr. Mugabe.


According to the ACPF, Ethiopia has more than 70 adoption agencies, including 15 only refer to children families in the United States.


African children more go to the United States, which is where adoptions occur most of the foreign countries - in 2010, more than 11,000 children over 100 countries were adopted by American parents.


In Western Europe and the Canada families also adopt African children.


International adoption is also popular in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Mali, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Uganda and Burkina Faso, said the coastal report.


People who wish to adopt children are turning more to Africa because that the adoption of the amendments and laws in other countries has resulted in a shortage of adoptable children, she says.


Countries including China, South Korea, the Guatemala, the Russia, the Romania and the Ukraine have tightened eligibility rules and closed or limited adoption overseas - promotion rather national adoption.


International law, international adoption should be a last resort - and the increase in the number of children adopted in Africa and settled in other countries is of concern in child welfare experts.


"Every child has the right to be raised in the country where he was born, culture", said Mr. Mugabe.


"It is true that a number of children have actually benefited from adoption, but this is the best option or have been explored, other options," he told the BBC.


The report warned that many countries of the continent are not strong enough laws and policies to stem illicit activities, including trafficking in children.


Only 13 African countries have ratified the Hague Convention, which provides various safeguards to ensure that children are not adopted illegally.


"The burden of proof is on the African States to take urgent and decisive measures to strengthen families and communities to care for children in their country of origin," explains the coastal report.


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