Rwanda: Adoption Policy Questioned

Rwanda: Adoption Policy Questioned

BY JAMES KARUHANGA, 19 JULY 2012

MPs want the government to closely monitor Rwandan children adopted by foreigners and consequently taken abroad.

Speaking on Tuesday, several legislators questioned the country's policy on child adoption, saying children who are taken to other countries by their adoptive parents risked losing touch with their country's identity and heritage.

Official figures indicate that, from 2006 up to 2009, up to 263 Rwandan children were taken to several countries, including the United States, France, Belgium and Italy. In total, there are 361 adopted Rwandan children abroad, according to statistics from the National Children's Commission.

MP Devota Uwamaliya wondered what the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion was doing to ensure that such children remained connected with the country.

"We have got the figures but we don't know what arrangement is in place for follow up of these kids," she said.

The chairperson of the Chamber of Deputies' Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Gender, Alfred Rwasa Kayiranga, expressed concerns over the "the manner in which these children are brought up in foreign countries".

"What kind of upbringing do they get? Are they in position to grow up as patriotic Rwandans? Are our embassies monitoring this, and how is the ministry playing a part...The policy needs to answer such questions," she said.

Deputy Ombudsman Augustine Nzindukiyimana told the lawmakers that the ministry needed to address the matter urgently.

Zaina Nyiramatama, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Children (NCC), told The New Times that the agency was planning to come up with new guidelines on child adoption to complement The Hague Convention on Adoption. "We are in the process of proposing new guidelines that are in line with the national childcare reform.

"We don't really have much information except what the adoptive parents tell us; we want to improve on that by working closely with our embassies," she said.

Under the current arrangement, the NCC receives a progress report every six months for the first two years of adoption, after which the frequency of updates reduces to once a year until the child 18 years old.

Nyiramatama said the status updates come from foster families, and not adoption agencies.

Benilde Uwababyeyi, an NCC official in charge of adoption, said the status updates include such issues as the child's health, education and adaptableness to foreign language and culture. But she added that the envisaged reforms would ensure more information is availed.

"For instance, the issue of (preservation) of our culture and values is not included under the current arrangement, but need to integrate it".

Coordination

Responding to an e-mail enquiry from The New Times, Rwanda's Ambassador to Belgium, Robert Masozera, said the embassy intends to work closely with "appropriate institutions" in Rwanda and in Belgium to improve on how they are handling the adoption issue. "We will ask relevant Belgian institutions to help ascertain the exact number of Rwandan children adopted by Belgians. That's when we will be able to take appropriate strategies measures on the matter," Masozera said.

"These children are Rwandans by origin, and not Belgians. They are members of the Rwandan community here and it is our responsibility to ensure they are an integral part of our community," the envoy added.

Ernest Rwamucyo, Rwanda's High Commissioner to the UK, said they follow-up on adopted Rwandan children in the UK to ensure their adoptive parents adhere to all their obligations to the children's welfare, and that the children remain connected to their roots.

He said: "The cases differ according to circumstances. There are cases where adoptive parents are entirely non-Rwandan. There are also cases of non-Rwandans who married Rwandans and chose to legally adopt their Rwandan partners' children or relatives. In the latter case, the children remain with deep attachments to Rwanda as they live in an environment where they have Rwandan relatives."

"Currently, in the UK, we have only one known case where a Rwandan child was adopted by non-Rwandan parents. The Embassy was involved throughout the process of adoption and remains in contact with the family. The child was also brought by the parents to visit the Embassy on a number of occasions."

The envoy, however, noted there is a challenge because "the entire adoption process is handled directly in Rwanda without coordination with embassies.

Hague Convention

The Hague Adoption Convention addresses international adoption, child laundering, and child trafficking. It was concluded on May 29, 1993 and entered into force on May 1, 1995.

"Intercountry adoptions shall be made in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights. To prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children each State should take, as a matter of priority, appropriate measures to enable the child to remain in the care of his or her family of origin," reads part of the Convention.

As of April 2012, the Convention had been ratified by 87 countries. Haiti, Nepal and The Russian Federation are signatories, but have yet to ratify the instrument.

Rwanda is one of the 69 states that are not members of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, but have signed, ratified or acceded to one or more Hague Conventions.

The government is in the process of gradually phasing out orphanages, preferring to have children raised in foster homes.

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