A recent decision by the Swedish Authority for Family Law and Parental Support could halt adoptions from Thailand, citing concerns over the country's adoption laws. The decision has sparked controversy, with Adoptionscentrum planning to appeal. The issue of international adoptions has gained significant attention, with proposals suggesting a potential ban.
Sweden's New Decision May Halt Adoptions from Thailand
Sweden's New Decision May Halt Adoptions from Thailand
A recent decision by the Swedish Authority for Family Law and Parental Support could now halt adoptions from Thailand. The authority believes that the country's legislation does not meet the required standards.
– We do not share the authority's view; we find this decision strange, says Anna Taxell, head of operations at Adoptionscentrum.
In a new decision by the Authority for Family Law and Parental Support (Mfof), which is responsible for authorizing adoption activities and supervising the operations of Swedish adoption organizations, Adoptionscentrum is denied the right to work with adoptions from Thailand.
The reason for the rejection, signed by Director General Per Bergling, is that the authority assesses that Thailand "does not have an adoption legislation that, together with other regulations of international adoption, considers the fundamental principles for international adoption as expressed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Hague Convention," as stated in the decision.
In 2024, seven children arrived from Thailand through adoption via authorized adoption agencies.
Mfof also states that their decision does not consider "an assessment of the child's best interest." Nor does the authority take into account whether the decision affects ongoing adoption processes where children are already matched with adoptive parents in Sweden – or where the child is already in Sweden but is under a so-called trial period. A trial period means that the child's country of origin wants reports, usually from social services, on how the child is doing in their new family before the adoption is finalized.
Expressen has been in contact with families who now have children under trial periods and who express concern about what will happen – in the worst case, that the children risk being sent back to Thailand. Currently, there are ten children from Thailand under trial periods in Sweden.
Tommy Marksén, head of international adoptions at the Authority for Family Law and Parental Support, comments on the concern that children already in Sweden risk being sent back:
– We assume that the adoptions of children already in Sweden can be completed. We have communicated this with the Thai central authority. Since the decision is made in Thailand, it is Thailand that can answer that question, he says.
What response did you get on that?
– We have not received a response yet.
Adoptionscentrum has announced that they will appeal the decision. While the legal process is pending, the previous decision – where Adoptionscentrum was granted authorization – will continue to apply.
"We do not share MFoF's assessment. No changes have occurred in our work or in cooperation with the Thai central authority since the last authorization application, when we were granted authorization for Thailand two years ago. We therefore believe that the decision lacks foundation," Adoptionscentrum states in a statement.
Investigator's Proposal: Ban on International Adoptions
The issue of international adoptions has gained significant attention in recent years, not least after investigations by SVT and Dagens Nyheter.
Last fall, Expressen revealed that the ongoing investigation by the Adoption Commission, led by special investigator Anna Singer, would propose a ban on international adoptions. The revelation was confirmed when the investigation was presented in early June.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, M, was previously chairman of Adoptionscentrum. When asked if international adoptions to Sweden should be banned, he responded in June:
– Their (the Adoption Commission's, ed.) proposal is practically to ban it entirely. I will not have an opinion on that issue right now; this will go out for consultation, he said and continued:
– These are very serious and difficult questions, of course. I believe that most Swedes share the view that families are much better for children than orphanages. I have seen orphanages around the world, and they are not homes for children. At the same time, we must know that adoptions are conducted correctly if we are to cooperate with other countries. So this will now be thoroughly analyzed. We will look at the investigation's proposal, consultation bodies will have their say, and they will probably have quite different opinions.