Thousands of illegal adoptions in Switzerland – report reveals official grievances Switzerland again misses the top 20 in the comparison of climate protection countries

Especially in the 1980s, hundreds of small children from Sri Lanka were brought to Europe for adoption illegally or under questionable circumstances. Three years ago, a report commissioned by Parliament finally revealed its full extent. The Swiss authorities had been aware of the practice since 1981 at the latest, but did nothing. In December 2020, the Federal Council officially recognized the failures and expressed its regrets to those affected.

Now it turns out that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is much bigger than previously known. This is the conclusion of a study published on Friday on behalf of the Federal Council. There were also irregularities in other countries. There is “Indications of illegal practices, child trafficking, forged documents and missing indications of origin”said a statement from the Ministry of Justice (EJPD).

Several thousand adopted children are affected

The exact number of people affected cannot be determined based on the file situation. “However, the number of entry permits issued shows that several thousand adopted children could have been affected by the irregularities during the period examined.” Adoptions from Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, India, Colombia, Korea, Lebanon, Peru and Romania were looked at.

The Federal Council recognizes the irregularities in international adoptions and regrets that the authorities have not sufficiently fulfilled their responsibility towards the children and their families. These failures on the part of the authorities still shape the lives of those who were adopted at the time to this day.

For the Federal Council it is clear: such irregularities must no longer exist. He would therefore like to review international adoption law. This could significantly reduce the chance of misuse in the future. A group of experts will explore in-depth clarifications with a view to a review by the end of 2024.