The National Administrative Board asks Sri Lanka for information about adoptions

The National Administrative Board asks Sri Lanka for information about adoptions

The National Ankestyrelse is now writing to the authorities in Sri Lanka for information on adoptions in the 1980s.

09/26/2017

We do this after reviewing the media of irregularities in adoptions from Sri Lanka. We have become aware that there may have been a problem based on a review of a documentary film shown on the Dutch television.

According to the review of Denmark, Denmark, together with, among others, Holland and Sweden, has received incorrect children from Sri Lanka in the 1980s.

Based on descriptions, we can not assess whether adoptions to Denmark are subject to possible irregularities. The information is too diffuse to identify problems in Danish cases that were then subject to completely different rules than today.

What does the Ankestyrelsen do?

We follow the matter closely. We are in contact with the adoption authorities in other countries, which are in the same situation in the media, and we are also addressing the authorities in Sri Lanka for more information.

Then we will evaluate whether the information allows us to do more.

There is no rule set or a roadmap for handling a situation like this one. Therefore, we try to get more knowledge about what it is about and whether the Danish cases may be affected.

Can something similar happen today?

It is an incredibly unfortunate situation if children have been abducted on an improper basis. Therefore, today there are very fixed rules and procedures for international adoption. They must ensure the protection of the child in the process and the proper guidance of the biological family.

There is both an international convention (The Hague Convention of 1993) and Danish adoption legislation.

The further process

We will try to find out if Danish cases are affected by the authorities in Sri Lanka.

We write more when we have new information in the case.

Last updated 27.09.2017

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