Minister Franc Weerwind was determined to stop adoption, but changed course at the last minute after consultation with his own party D66. This is evident from research by the Nederlands Dagblad.
The devastating final report of the committee that investigated intercountry adoption. It now appears that Minister Weerwind wanted to stop adoption, but ultimately did not. image Robin Utrecht
More than a year ago it was a great relief for prospective parents: intercountry adoption became possible again. Minister Franc Weerwind wrote to the House of Representatives about his decision on April 11, 2022: 'For adopted children, growing up in a Dutch family offers an opportunity that they would not otherwise have had.' However, the number of countries from which adoption is allowed has been severely limited.
A month earlier, he had a completely different letter ready, according to documents that the Nederlands Dagblad requested through an appeal to the Open Government Act (WOO). The draft letter actually states that he wants to quit within five years, because the adoption system is prone to abuses. 'Adoption is no longer a sustainable instrument to protect the interests of children.' The risk of abuse simply cannot be removed, Weerwind thought.
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no faith
In February 2021, Weerwind's predecessor Sander Dekker put a temporary stop on intercountry adoption. The reason was a damning research report by a committee led by Tjibbe Joustra into abuses in adoption practice, such as forgery of documents and child trafficking. Dekker thought there needed to be a fundamental reconsideration of adoption.
During that reflection, proponents of adoption argued for a new 'public law system', in which the government has control over adoptions - because that would prevent abuses. But Weerwind does not believe in that, he writes in his draft letter to the House of Representatives.
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Weerwind circulates this draft letter with the decision to stop among the coalition factions VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie, to determine whether they agree and whether the decision can be sent to the House of Representatives. On March 24, 2022, D66 will discuss the letter in a so-called ministerial meeting (BPO). The D66 ministerial team and the top of the parliamentary faction meet there to discuss matters.
The documents requested by the Nederlands Dagblad show that Weerwind's letter to Parliament was amended after this consultation. A day later, on March 25, an official wrote in an email that the five-year phase-out period had been canceled due to political consultations. 'Comments' from the D66-bpo are explicitly mentioned in the documents, no mention is made of other coalition factions. Group leader Jan Paternotte of D66 does not want to say what was said during the ministerial meeting and whether there was indeed an insistence on allowing intercountry adoption to continue. This consultation is confidential.
D66 MP Lisa van Ginneken knows nothing about the developments surrounding the adjustment of the policy letter, she says. But, she adds, it is no secret that her party is in favor of intercountry adoption as long as it is in the best interests of the children. She believes that no phase-out period is appropriate. 'The future prospects for a child are so poor in some countries that they are really better off in a loving adoptive family.' And according to her, some countries will really not be able to get their own facilities in order within five years.
SP MP Michiel van Nispen, who is committed to an adoption stop, is indignant about the minister's working methods. 'Who holds the pen at the ministry? The minister or the D66 faction? The minister should have weighed up interests and written down what he really thought. Then D66 could have given its position in the public parliamentary debate. In this way, we as a House hardly have any opportunity to exercise democratic control and subsequently reverse the minister's decision.'
A spokesperson for Minister Franc Weerwind said in a response that the five-year phase-out period has been abandoned because some countries of origin still have a 'long way' to go. When asked whether this happened due to the discussion within Weerwind's own party, he answers: 'There is no concrete moment or specific discussion that led to the five-year term being abandoned.'
Tjibbe Joustra, the chairman of the committee of inquiry into intercountry adoption, said in conversation with this newspaper that he has no longer been asked for advice by the ministry. He cannot place the policy choices properly and would have found it more logical if a phase-out period had been chosen. He finds it difficult to follow the list of countries from which adoption is now allowed again. 'There must be some logic to it, but it escapes me.'