LilMtnCbn
06-27-2004, 07:56 AM
http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,7882_A_1248088_1_A,00.html
Romania Bans Foreign Adoptions
Only a Romanian family will do
The Romanian government has passed a law banning foreign adoptions of its
orphans after pressure from the EU to curb abuses of the system by child
traffickers. The U.S. says the ban goes too far.
For thousands of childless couples in Western Europe and North America, the
dream of adopting a Romanian child is over. For the estimated 50,000 children
still languishing in Romania's orphanages, their chances of finding a family
have shrunk considerably.
But the European Union said the new law banning foreign adoptions is meant to
better protect Romania's orphans, as many of the children supposedly destined
for adoption were instead being trafficked into prostitution or the illegal
organ trade.
Romania was also warned by the EU that its chances of joining the bloc in 2007
were in jeopardy if it didn't improve its record on children's rights.
Romania's new law bans all foreign adoptions, except by the child's
grandparents, and only then after all efforts have been made to place the child
with a Romanian family. Critics of the new law say it's highly unlikely that
the government will find enough Romanian families with which to place the
orphans.
Freeze on adoptions in progress
In addition, the law is likely to end hundreds of foreign adoptions that are
already in progress. Representatives of the hundreds of American families
caught up in the lengthy adoption procedures are hoping to persuade Romanian
President Ion Iliescu (photo) to allow adoptions already underway to proceed.
"It's not up to us to tell Romania how to write their laws," said Elaine
MacEwen, executive director of Nobody's Children, a North Carolina-based group
that helps children living in Romanian orphanages. "We're asking them just to
honor their commitments to assigned families."
The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest described the law as a "tragedy" which
punishes thousands of childless couples who have a legitimate wish to provide
one of Romania's 50,000 orphans with a home and a higher standard of living in
the U.S.
But Romanian officials are keen to end the perception that Romania is a country
that profits from the export of its own children. "This law shows that our
children are not for sale, that they are better off in Romania," Florin
Iordache, a member of parliament for the ruling Social Democrat party, told
Reuters news agency.
Ceaucescu's legacy
International adoptions in Romania boomed in 1989 after communist dictator
Nicolae Ceaucescu was ousted from government and television pictures of
children living in squalid conditions in orphanages were beamed around the
world. Under Ceaucescu's iron-fisted rule, an estimated 100,000 children were
confined to orphanages that looked more like prisons. They were the products of
his ban on contraception and abortion.
The adoption system quickly became awash in corruption. Private adoption
agencies were free to charge their own fees for arranging adoptions, usually
ranging between €7,500 ($9,000) and €25,000 ($30,000).
Earlier this month, Baroness Emma Nicholson, the European Parliament's special
envoy for Romania, criticized the country for "persistent abandonment of
children, child abuse and neglect, international adoption and child
trafficking."
Her report, meant to assess Romania's readiness to join the EU, said that the
country's "extreme poverty cannot be addressed by the sale of… children."
Nicholson was said to be "delighted" at the Romanian government's decision to
ban foreign adoptions.
The ban, which will take effect at the beginning of next year, replaces a
moratorium on foreign adoptions imposed three years ago, but which was widely
ignored.
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
Romania Bans Foreign Adoptions
Only a Romanian family will do
The Romanian government has passed a law banning foreign adoptions of its
orphans after pressure from the EU to curb abuses of the system by child
traffickers. The U.S. says the ban goes too far.
For thousands of childless couples in Western Europe and North America, the
dream of adopting a Romanian child is over. For the estimated 50,000 children
still languishing in Romania's orphanages, their chances of finding a family
have shrunk considerably.
But the European Union said the new law banning foreign adoptions is meant to
better protect Romania's orphans, as many of the children supposedly destined
for adoption were instead being trafficked into prostitution or the illegal
organ trade.
Romania was also warned by the EU that its chances of joining the bloc in 2007
were in jeopardy if it didn't improve its record on children's rights.
Romania's new law bans all foreign adoptions, except by the child's
grandparents, and only then after all efforts have been made to place the child
with a Romanian family. Critics of the new law say it's highly unlikely that
the government will find enough Romanian families with which to place the
orphans.
Freeze on adoptions in progress
In addition, the law is likely to end hundreds of foreign adoptions that are
already in progress. Representatives of the hundreds of American families
caught up in the lengthy adoption procedures are hoping to persuade Romanian
President Ion Iliescu (photo) to allow adoptions already underway to proceed.
"It's not up to us to tell Romania how to write their laws," said Elaine
MacEwen, executive director of Nobody's Children, a North Carolina-based group
that helps children living in Romanian orphanages. "We're asking them just to
honor their commitments to assigned families."
The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest described the law as a "tragedy" which
punishes thousands of childless couples who have a legitimate wish to provide
one of Romania's 50,000 orphans with a home and a higher standard of living in
the U.S.
But Romanian officials are keen to end the perception that Romania is a country
that profits from the export of its own children. "This law shows that our
children are not for sale, that they are better off in Romania," Florin
Iordache, a member of parliament for the ruling Social Democrat party, told
Reuters news agency.
Ceaucescu's legacy
International adoptions in Romania boomed in 1989 after communist dictator
Nicolae Ceaucescu was ousted from government and television pictures of
children living in squalid conditions in orphanages were beamed around the
world. Under Ceaucescu's iron-fisted rule, an estimated 100,000 children were
confined to orphanages that looked more like prisons. They were the products of
his ban on contraception and abortion.
The adoption system quickly became awash in corruption. Private adoption
agencies were free to charge their own fees for arranging adoptions, usually
ranging between €7,500 ($9,000) and €25,000 ($30,000).
Earlier this month, Baroness Emma Nicholson, the European Parliament's special
envoy for Romania, criticized the country for "persistent abandonment of
children, child abuse and neglect, international adoption and child
trafficking."
Her report, meant to assess Romania's readiness to join the EU, said that the
country's "extreme poverty cannot be addressed by the sale of… children."
Nicholson was said to be "delighted" at the Romanian government's decision to
ban foreign adoptions.
The ban, which will take effect at the beginning of next year, replaces a
moratorium on foreign adoptions imposed three years ago, but which was widely
ignored.
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
