Sweden is considering stopping adoption from the Philippines

Norway has already stopped adoption from the Philippines. Now the Swedish authorities are considering doing the same.

Last week it became known that Bufdir recommends a complete halt to all foreign adoptions to Norway.

It also became known that all adoptions from Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines have been stopped.

This happens after a year in which VG has made a number of revelations about illegal adoptions to Norway.

Among other things, VG has told about how babies are sold in the Philippines - and that fake birth certificates are a big problem.

This information also caused concern among the Swedish authorities. Just before Christmas, they started investigating whether adoption from the Philippines to Sweden is going well.

- The investigations were launched on the basis of the information that came to light in VG. But we have also received additional information from the Norwegian Bufdir. For us, it is about getting clarity as soon as possible as to whether the information that has come to light also affects Swedish adoptions, says Per Sundberg.

He is the communications officer at Myndigheten för familjerätt och föräldraskapsstöd (MFoF), which is responsible for ensuring that adoptions to Sweden take place in accordance with the law.

- The information about fake birth certificates is something we investigate carefully, says Sundberg.

Bufdir has already done its research - and chose before Christmas to stop all adoptions from the Philippines to Norway. One of the main reasons was the danger of document forgery.

Bufdir has also made a recommendation to stop all foreign adoptions, until   a comprehensive investigation of adoptions  has been carried out. The investigation is expected to be completed in two years.

It is now up to Children's Minister Kjersti Toppe to decide whether adoptions should be stopped temporarily.

She has said that she wants more information from Bufdir before making a decision.

- A temporary halt in all foreign adoptions will be drastic. Therefore, it is important that a thorough assessment is made of the basis for a possible suspension, alternative measures and what kind of consequences a possible suspension will have, Toppe said when it became known that Bufdir recommended a suspension of all foreign adoptions.

Denmark stops

Last week it became known that Danish International Adoption (DIA) - which is the only Danish organization that mediates foreign adoption - will stop doing so. In practice, this means that no children are adopted from abroad to Denmark anymore.

Now the Swedish Minister of Social Affairs, Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M) is open to the possibility that Sweden can also stop all adoptions from abroad.

- I have followed the information from Norway and Denmark carefully. I and the Swedish government take the issue of illegal adoption to Sweden very seriously. That shouldn't happen, says Grönvall to VG.

She also believes that a full stop to adoptions is very invasive.

- It is therefore important that the supervisory authorities examine the information first and carry out a thorough investigation.

After a series of revelations from the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter and SVT about illegal adoption, the Swedish authorities opened an investigation into all foreign adoptions in 2021.