E-mail Truus de Groot

From: Helpdesk Adoptie Fiom [mailto:helpdeskadoptie@fiom.nl]

Sent: Mittwoch, 22. Mai 2019 14:30

To: info@againstchildtrafficking.org

Subject: Antwoord op ACT (Arun Dohle) op uitnodiging

Dear Arun,

To start with your last questions: You are correct that Fiom has not altered the information on the website yet. We are awaiting what the meetings with every organisation are going to bring and we will first discuss this issue with the Ministry of Justice, before taking steps regarding altering the information on the website.

As you might understand, Fiom does not have the financial resources to cover your travel expenses and accommodation. Off course I will forward your questions to the Ministry (as they are inviting you to this meeting) and will come back to you. Are you planning to travel to the Netherlands in the near future? If so, I could ask the Ministry if we can postpone the meeting. Or would it be possible to send someone else? I know more organisations have the same problem as you have and I am going to discuss this with the Ministry.

I will also discuss your second e-mail with the Ministry, to see if they would like to invite you to more than one meeting.

In addition to this, I would like to ask you something as well. I read the piece you placed on your website on May 14th regarding the working group on illicit adoptions. In it you wrote: ‘Furthermore, ISS has been directly involved in criminal adoption practices.

Namely, for India and Romania we have clear evidence of that. ISS/FIOM was also involved in the illegal adoptions towards the Netherlands, in the early days.’

I understand that you worked together with Ina Hut and Roelie Post regarding their investigations into adoptions from Ethiopia and Rumania (investigations that Fiom has always supported). I was wondering (and hoping) you would be able to share the information you have on Fiom and/or ISS being involved in criminal adoption practices. Although I can not speak for other ISS member states, if you have verified information about this, I would like to raise questions with our General Secretariat about this.

As ISS the Netherlands can only have handled adoption cases until the Dutch law regarding intercountry adoption came into effect (1989) and ISS the Netherlands and Fiom only merged in 1998, Fiom has never been involved in intercountry adoptions. But I am sure you already knew this.

I hope you will be able to give me more information about this, as I am truly interested and would like to learn more about this.

I hope we will be able to meet each other in the near future or, of this is not possible, to be able to meet someone else from your organisation. I will come back to you as soon as I know more about the possibilities regarding the meeting.

With best regards,

Truus Groot

Fiom/ISS the Netherlands

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