Why were there so many international adoptions in the past?

A policewoman brings a baby to safety in Sri Lanka. A Danish couple had tried to take the child unlawfully in 2007. EPA/M.A.PUSHPA KUMARA

In Switzerland, 14 cantons want to work more closely together to help adopted individuals find their biological parents. In the past, not everything was always done by the book.

Why were there so many international adoptions in the past?

In recent years, as economic and social conditions in Switzerland improved – especially for unmarried mothers – there were fewer children available to adopt within the small Alpine state. This led to some people looking to adopt from abroad. From the 1960s onwards, there was a wave of adoptions from Asian countries, and later from South America and Africa. From 1989, there was an increase in adoptions from Eastern Europe.

Fertility issues were not always the main reason for adopting. Some Swiss couples felt as though it was a “humanitarian act”. They wanted to rescue children from poverty due to their social or religious beliefs and offer them a better life with educational opportunities.

Developments in certain countries were also partly responsible. For example, the South Korean government reduced funding for social welfare systems for unmarried mothers and poor families and instead promoted large-scale international adoptions until the 1980s. In Sri Lanka, an adoption industry developed: lawyers, social workers, midwives, chauffeurs and hotels all profited from international adoptions.

In India, anyone who had an illegitimate pregnancy faced stigma, especially if the mother and father belonged to different castes or religions. Pregnant women often only received support if they were prepared to give their children up for adoption in return.

Adoptions were not always carried out correctly. Often, the written consent of the biological parents was missing.

Sarah Ramani Ineichen, president of the association ‘Back to the Roots’, which campaigns for adopted Sri Lankans in Switzerland and for reparations for injustices. Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Why were there so many irregular adoptions in Switzerland?

The stigma of single motherhood in India and the stigma of childless marriage in Switzerland created a supply and demand where money could be made.

According to the study “Mother unknown. Adoptions from India in cantons Zurich and Thurgau, 1973-2002”, couples in Switzerland paid between CHF6,000 and CHF20,000 ($6,619 and $22,063) for the placement of a child from India. In Switzerland and other Western industrialised countries, middle-class couples could afford to pay the cost associated with international adoption.

Swiss parents also increasingly had the financial means to travel to distant countries and find a child themselves.

Networks also played a role: many adoptions in India were organised through Catholic institutions such as the numerous Mother Teresa homes. Compared to other countries, Switzerland was late to adopt the Hague Convention, which aimed to prevent irregular adoptions and child trafficking.

A statue of Mother Teresa in Chennai, India. The name of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner inspired parents in Switzerland who wanted to adopt. AP Photo/Desikan Krishnan

Why has there been a steady decline in foreign adoptions?

The Hague Adoption Convention came into force in Switzerland in 2003, tightening the rules for foreign adoptions. Children may only be adopted abroad if no adoptive parents can be found in their home country. Since the implementation of the convention, international adoptions in Switzerland have decreased sharply.

What does the situation look like today?

Today, “stepchild” adoptions (the adoption of the child of a partner) have become more common. International adoptions have become increasingly rare.

According to experts, the Hague Convention has curbed child trafficking, but it still occurs. There is a debate as to whether the process of international adoptions should be abandoned. Several organisations have called on the Swiss federal government to consider a moratorium; it is expected to make a decision in early 2025.

Translated from German using DeepL/amva/sb