Restrictions on adoption from Haiti
The UK goverment has place a restriction on adoption from Haiti due to the events of two years ago. It is understood that this restriction is still in place.
From the Department of Education (UK's Adoption Authority)
Restrictions on Adoptions from Abroad (Haiti) Order 2010 placed 15 October 2010
It was recently established that Haiti is now accepting new intercountry adoption applications following a self-imposed moratorium after the earthquake in January 2010.
This Order has been made in response to up to date information indicating that the infrastructure in Haiti remains very weak.
The evidence suggests that the government authorities in Haiti that normally deal with child protection and are responsible for the administration of intercountry adoptions are not in a position to ensure that the correct processes are being followed. There are indications that the disaster has made a system which was already inadequate worse.
The evidence has been provided by several reputable organisations, including UNICEF, World Vision, and International Social Service (ISS). The evidence falls into two categories:
a) general advice against intercountry adoptions for a period of two years following a natural disaster; and
b) evidence about practices and systems in Haiti. A full report published by International Social Service in September, and its executive summary published earlier by the Hague Bureau refers in particular to the following:
- no competent authority in place to ensure internal adoption procedures are complied with;
- neither Haiti nor Receiving States are in a position to ensure family reunification and other domestic solutions had been exhausted;
- few efforts are made to confirm adoptability of children, and no preparation of children prior to transfer to new country;
- lack of proper consent of parents to adoption.
World Vision advised that the infrastructure in Government institutions in Haiti is inadequate, such that key child protection institutions are still very weak, under resourced and not in a position to effectively administer Intercountry adoption processes.
As a result of this evidence the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, in the name of the Secretary of State, is of the view that it would be contrary to public policy to further the bringing of children into the United Kingdom from Haiti as specified in section 9 (2) of the Children and Adoption Act 2006.
