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Norway tightens controls on international adoptions amid investigation
Recently, the government of Norway announced a tightening of regulations on international adoptions while an investigation is ongoing to assess the legality and ethics of past adoptions. This decision goes against the recommendation of the Norwegian Child Welfare Services to pause international adoptions during the investigation.
The Minister for Children and Families, Kjersti Toppe, stated that there is no need for a general suspension of adoptions while the investigation committee works. The goal of the investigation is to uncover any illegal or unethical practices in foreign adoptions to Norway.
An independent committee has been set up to evaluate the control Norwegian authorities have over international adoptions. This move follows reports of allegedly illegal adoptions, such as children being sold and fake birth certificates being issued in the Philippines.
Amid the investigation, risk-reducing measures have been put in place for international adoptions, including a thorough review of documents for each case. Agreements with several countries have been terminated due to concerns over the legality of adoptions.
In neighboring countries like Denmark and Sweden, similar issues have been raised regarding falsified documents and procedures in international adoptions, leading to the halting of adoptions from certain countries.
As the investigation in Norway continues, the overall aim is to ensure the ethical and legal integrity of international adoptions to safeguard the well-being of children involved.