Denmark’s only intermediary for international adoptions closes
Denmark’s only intermediary of international adoptions closes an extraordinary board meeting of the Danish International Adoption (DIA) on Tuesday, after sanctions were imposed on the organisation by the Danish Appeals Board and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and the Elderly, DIA said in a press release on Tuesday. Social Affairs and Housing Minister Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil was unable to say what would happen in either the short or long term in relation to the international adoption agency, she told Ritzau on Tuesday.
“We must decide whether we can guarantee that there is no trafficking in children, for example, or that there are parents who are deceived of their children so that they can be put up for adoption in Denmark. Before we start adoption mediation again, we need to be sure that the construction we have made prevents these things from happening,” states the minister. On Friday, the Danish Appeals Board informed DIA that the agency recommended to the Minister of Social Affairs and Housing to stop the mediation of adoptions from South Africa which is the country where most children come to Denmark from. The DIA acknowledges errors in the cases.
On Monday, the ministry’s department announced that the DIA’s five other country agreements with Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and the Czech Republic are being suspended for a period of time. Currently, there are 36 applicants on the waiting list spread across the six countries. (Ed: see under Norway below). /ritzau/