Switzerland May Ban International Adoption of Children

Switzerland is planning to prohibit its citizens from adopting children from abroad. This decision is based on a report from a group of independent experts, which states that even if adoption laws are tightened, it cannot entirely rule out further violations of the adoption process.

According to TASS, the government acknowledges the existence of abuses in the adoption of foreign children by Swiss citizens in the past. As a result, the Federal Council has instructed the Federal Department of Justice and Police to prepare a relevant draft for the ban by the end of 2026.

Swiss media reports that thousands of children from Brazil, India, Chile, and Sri Lanka were unlawfully adopted by Swiss citizens during the 1980s and 1990s. This practice became known when these children grew up and began to ask questions about their origins, which remained unanswered.

According to several studies published in recent years in Switzerland, adoptions have been based on illegal practices, including child trafficking abroad. Swiss authorities have been unable to prevent such violations.