VG reveals: This is how Norway was notified about the sale of children, corruption and false identities

Only the human imagination sets limits to what can happen here, says a report written by the Norwegian authorities in 2009. Nevertheless, adoptions continued as before.

• Brazil, 2009: Children tried to be sold for adoption. Mother sells her child for a pair of sandals. 
• Colombia, 2017 : Thousands of children disappear from their parents - and are vulnerable to illegal adoption. Children used for prostitution and human trafficking. 
• Philippines, 2010 : New identity can be obtained on most street corners.

These are alerts Bufdir has received on inspection trips .

In Brazil, a public prosecutor told the children's court about corruption and the buying and selling of children, before saying that only the imagination set limits to what could happen in the country. 

This is revealed in the report Bufdir wrote after the trip in 2009. 

Today, VG can reveal that the Norwegian authorities have been notified time and time again about possible illegal adoptions. 

Only a few have led to orders or reactions. 

This is shown by VG's mapping of all reports after inspection trips to countries Norway adopts between 1988 and 2022. 

This is how Norway reacted to some of the notifications

Colombia 2017: 

• Warning: pressure, prostitution and human trafficking: Colombian UNICEF warns that 12,000 children have disappeared in Bogota alone in recent years. These children are vulnerable to illegal adoption. The Norwegian embassy warns of a "large illegal economy with a lot of corruption", bribes and children being used for prostitution and human trafficking. 
• Conclusion: "We consider that the conditions are well suited for further adoption cooperation with Colombia."
• Measures or reactions: None

Philippines 2010: 

• Warning: fake ID documents: The Norwegian embassy in the Philippines states that it is difficult to find out whether documents are genuine - everything can be bought. "A new identity can, for example, be bought on most street corners", says the report written by Bufdir.
• Measures or reactions: None directed at the notifications about fake ID papers and documents. 

 Brazil 2009: 

• Notice: Sale of children. A public prosecutor warns against extensive corruption among judges and that children can be sold for adoption. The public prosecutor tells of a mother who sold her child for a pair of sandals.  
• Conclusion: "During our meeting and conversations, nothing came up that made us uncertain about the process regarding adoption from Brazil to Norway."
• Measures or reactions: None directed at the notifications about the purchase and sale of children.

- This is terribly uncomfortable, says John Erik Aarsheim (37).

Previously, NRK and Bergens Tidende told the story of how he was abducted from his own home in Colombia in 1988 and adopted to Norway. Now he reacts strongly to VG's revelations. 

- When my case came up in 2020, the argument from the Norwegian authorities was that it happened in the 80s and was an old story. Now it emerges that Norway received serious warnings about Colombia just three years earlier, in 2017. It gives me a bad feeling. This is not an old story, but an entire system in which it is now impossible to trust, says Aarsheim. 

Bufdir is responsible for ensuring that adoptions to Norway proceed legally. 

Their role in foreign adoptions is to be scrutinized following a series of revelations about illegal adoptions.

Neither Bufdir nor Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe now wants to answer specific questions about VG's disclosure. Both refer to the investigation, which is expected to be completed in two years.

In a general answer, department director for international services in Bufdir, Kristin Ugstad Steinrem, says: 

- We welcome the committee's scrutiny of international adoptions to Norway, and do what we can to ensure safe future adoptions. 

Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe emphasizes that she is reacting to what VG has uncovered. 

- But the notifications are already known to the ministry - in that they are in reports that have been delivered to you? 

- This happened before my time in the ministry. Several stories have now come to light from the adoption field which I have reacted to and which is the reason why I have now launched an independent investigation into foreign adoptions. This shows precisely why it was right [...]

Toppe also writes to VG:

- If circumstances come to light in the investigation that indicate that we must stop adoptions from countries Norway still adopts from, the committee must notify the ministry, says Toppe.

Previously, VG revealed that Camilla Austbø (37) was bought, sold - and adopted to Norway and exposed systematic cheating in adoption papers from South Korea. 

Denmark stopped adoptions from Madagascar before the summer after suspicion of fraud .

In 2021, the Netherlands stopped all international adoptions after an investigation revealed significant irregularities with foreign adoptions.

Chile, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, France and Switzerland have also reviewed their adoption systems.

- In the work with international adoptions, there has been a significant development over time. When it comes to adoptions to Norway today, Bufdir makes thorough and strict assessments before we give an organization permission to adopt children from a specific country, writes Ugstad Steinrem in Bufdir.

This is how the adoption associations respond:

The associations Adopsjonsforum and Inoradopt mediated adoption from the countries VG mentions in this article and participated in the inspection trips.  

Adoption forum, mediates adoption from the Philippines and Colombia. 

- Due to the upcoming investigation, it will be a mistake for the Adoption Forum to comment in the media on both individual cases and questions related to inspection visits, says chairman Andrea Mæhlum.

Inoradopt , mediated adoption from Brazil.  

- InorAdopt has always been aware of, and taken very seriously, the fact that in Brazil corruption is widespread in all parts of society, says chairman and general manager of Inoradopt, Siren Høgtun. 

- However, Brazil has transparent processes with security routines at all stages of the work with international adoption. This ensures that children who are released for international adoption are legally correct, says Høgtun. 

- The Netherlands stopped all adoptions in 2021. One of the reasons was illegal adoptions from Brazil - such as the use of false documents, corruption and trafficking of children. How can you be sure that adoptions from Brazil to Norway have taken place legally? 

- Inoradopt does not have insight into how Dutch organizations have worked in Brazil. But if we had suspected illegalities, we would have immediately notified the Norwegian authorities and ended the collaboration.