Netherlands and Denmark announce ban on adoptions from South Africa

The Department of Social Development has confirmed that it has received confirmation from the Netherlands and Denmark regarding the ban on inter-country adoptions.

Dr Tebogo Mabe, director of Adoption Services at the department, revealed this during the review of the social development Integrated Justice System (IJS) program underway in Cape Town.

“We’ve been exporting babies to these countries and we have received a notice from these countries of this intention,” said Mabe.

According to Mabe, the Netherlands is banning inter-country processes because, when the children become adults, they tend to want to trace their biological parents.

This placed a burden on the Netherlands, he said.

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South Africa performed 200 inter-country adoptions annually to different countries.

As of May 2024, the inter-country adoptions register had 2,239, said the department.

The country currently has orphaned children due to violent crime, gender-based violence (GBV), HIV/AIDS and Covid-19.

Ban on adoptions

The Dutch government announced an immediate ban on adoptions from other countries in June this year. In a statement, the government said procedures that had already commenced would continue.

The country’s parliament has since instructed the Minister for Legal Protection Franc Weerwind to develop a plan to carefully phase out inter-country adoption.

“In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about inter-country adoption. Not only by adopted children who suffered trauma but also by others who actually experienced their adoption as valuable. This is juxtaposed as far as I am concerned. Also now that the inter-country process is being phased out,” said Weerwind.

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“The news that we will now be definitively ending inter-country adoption may come as a shock to the persons involved and create a great deal of emotion. I am very much aware of that. That is why due care is of paramount importance during the phase-out process.”

Weerwind aims to send the phase-out plan to the House of Representatives in September.

“The phase-out plan will clarify how the phase-out will impact procedures that have already started.”

The programme is expected to end by the end of 2025.

Denmark agency shutting down

In January, Denmark’s only overseas adoption agency, Danish International Adoption (DIA), announced it was shutting down its facilitation of international adoptions.

It mentioned sanctions from the Danish Appeals Agency and the Ministry of Social Affairs as a reason.

The DIA said it had been informed by the Danish Appeals Board that a recommendation had been sent to the Ministry of Social Affairs to stop mediation from South Africa. This after more than 20 years of cooperation.

“Trust and support are absent. We take the consequence of that based on a principle of propriety. DIA will assist the Board of Appeal in fulfilling the obligations and tasks that the situation entails in the short term,” said vice-chairman Anne Friis from DIA’s board.

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“At the same time, we call for a unified, politically viable solution to the central issue; what does Denmark want in the area of ​​international adoption and how can international adoption continue to be an opportunity to form a family for the children’s good?”