Norway has announced tighter controls over international adoptions while allowing them to continue as an investigation into the legality and ethics of past adoptions is underway. The decision to proceed with international adoptions contradicts the recommendation made by Norway's top regulatory body, the Norwegian Child Welfare Services, which had suggested a pause during the investigation.
The Minister for Children and Families stated that, at present, a general interim suspension of international adoptions is not deemed necessary while the investigative committee carries out its work. The primary objective of the investigation is to determine whether there have been any instances of illegal or unethical practices in foreign adoptions to Norway.
An independent investigative committee was established by the government in December to evaluate the oversight of adoptions from abroad by Norwegian authorities and to investigate any potential illegal or unethical occurrences in adoptions to Norway. The committee is expected to complete its investigation by late 2025.
The inquiry was initiated following media reports in Norway alleging illegal adoptions, including claims of children being sold and provided with false birth certificates in the Philippines. In response, the government has implemented measures to reduce risks associated with international adoptions, such as conducting thorough reviews of all documentation for each case transferred from adoption organizations to Bufdir, the government agency overseeing adoptions.
Last year, Bufdir was assigned the task of reviewing adoption agreements with various countries to ensure the legality of adoptions with each partner. As a result of these reviews, agreements with several countries were terminated, while agreements with Colombia and Bulgaria were maintained, and South Korea received a limited permit for adoptions.
In Denmark, the sole overseas adoption agency announced the winding down of international adoptions in January due to concerns raised by a government agency regarding falsified documents and procedures obscuring children's biological origins abroad. Similarly, Sweden's only adoption agency halted adoptions from South Korea in November following allegations of falsified documentation regarding the origins of adopted children.
