Quote:
Originally Posted by PriscillaVanilla
You don't think child trafficking still goes on today? It's very common in many parts of the world. That is part of the reason the United Nations does not support international adoption. And in the USA: Many of these Evangelical Christian groups that disguise themselves as support for pregnant women, their sole purpose is to coerce the woman into giving up her baby for adoption. I've already cited many examples, which you didn't bother to read or learn about. Your debate strategy is to simply issue a blanket denial: "that doesn't happen".
Here's some reading to get you started:
International adoption: Saving orphans or child trafficking? - CNN.com
https://fusion.tv/story/368628/inter...d-trafficking/ |
Let's review both stories.
James Ziglar of the INS shutdown Cambodian adoption due to the actions of two sisters (Galindo.) No other indictments have been filed since Seattle International Adoptions Inc was shutdown.
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/arti...hs-1160067.php
Commissioner Ziglar told Congress that ALL agencies working to adopt Cambodian children were corrupt, but only one agency and these two sisters were indicted and convicted.
This occured in 2004, in 2006 Cambodia became a member of the Hague treaty. In 2017, the US Department of State stated they don't ever see Cambodia being able to implement the Hague treaty. Therefore, due to the indictment and conviction of two agency owners, no further Cambodian adoptions will be allowed.
Much has been written about the Cambodian Adoption Mess. I fully support the indictment of the Galindo sisters. I also am concerned that they only served 18 months in a Federal halfway house. But it seems that to close a whole county due to the illegal actions of two sisters is a bit much and there were no legal hearing held before the closing of Cambodian Adoptions. Where is the due process?
I'll also just post these two google articles as you refer to them:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/...odia-sex-trade
https://abcnews.go.com/WN/cambodia-c...ry?id=10163645
Ethiopia has followed a similar path.
Quote:
The U.S. adoption story of another 19-year-old is different.
"When I was 13, I was sold," said Tarikuwa Lemma, who grew up in Ethiopia.
She and her two sisters were adopted by an Arizona family who were told Lemma's parents died of AIDS.
"The truth was that our mother had died as a result of complications during childbirth, and our father was alive and well," said Lemma.
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There does not appear to be any evidence of these children being sold. There does appear to be some disagreement between what the Ethiopian government says is the reason these children's biological parents died of and perhaps some questionable statements on a visa application. However, the application charged the adoptive parents with providing the truth as best they know it. I cannot imagine the difficulties of trying to verify death certificates in Ethiopia. Nor can I imagine the pain these two children experienced due to the death of their parent or parents.
but the article also states: ""In every human endeavor, there is a chance for abuse," said Elizabeth Bartholet, director of the Child Advocacy Program at Harvard Law School, who adopted two children from Peru in the 1980s.
"But if a plane goes down, they don't ground the whole airline industry ... the only institution I can think of that when there's a problem, they shut it down, is international adoption."
Critics argue the hunger to adopt children from developing nations helps feed nefarious practices, as families are often deceived or coerced into giving their children up for adoption."
And I know that Embassy and Consulate staff have numerous investigators in place to challenge all visa and adoption petitions. And to date I don't know of any petition that has been turned down and upheld on appeal. I'm also aware of this indictment and conviction:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/four-...tes-connection It seems very similar to the Cambodian situation. One bad actor, close the whole country down.
In the case of the country of Ethiopia the US Department of State simply pressured Ethiopia to close international adoption until they could modernize governmental oversight of the countries adoption program. Is it really feasible to expect Ethiopia to meet these modernization standards? Or is this simply a way for the US to say Ethiopia made this decision.
Congo
Another third world country and another mess. It is my understanding that we have numerous American Couples and their children (both adopted and biological) that cannot leave the Congo due to the lack of an exit visa. They have finalized adoption decrees from the Congolese government and IR3 visas from the US Consulate, but are unable to leave the county due to this exit visa requirement. It's also unclear when this exit visa requirement was established and which couples knew about the requirement.
Quote:
The DRC, with a population of about 68 million, is home to over four million of Africa’s orphaned children, according to the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF.
U.S. State Department figures show DRC was one of the most common countries for international adoption by U.S. parents alongside China, Ethiopia, and Ukraine.
Between 2010 and 2013, the U.S. Department of State reported that adoptions from the DRC by its citizens rose 645 percent.
But the system hit a roadblock two years ago with the suspension of exit permits.
Many adoptive parents saw the ban as a ruse to extort money from them with corruption widespread in DRC which emerged from a five-year war in 2003.
About 1,000 adoptive families, nearly half of them American, are waiting for the suspension to be lifted, with many of these paying childcare for children they have adopted in the meantime.
Two waiting parents told the Thomson Reuters Foundation they would never resort to smuggling their child and fear publicity about it could jeopardise their chances of seeing their children leave the country legally.
“I don’t think there is legitimate reason to say we have to rescue these children (from DRC) because of bribery and corruption. I don’t think that is necessarily true,” said Holly Mulford, spokeswoman for U.S. campaign group Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform (PEAR).
But other Americans say they are forced to choose between grappling with opaque bureaucracy and smuggling to bring their child to a safe home.
United Nations data shows DRC has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, with 129.8 deaths in every 1,000 children under five.
“We personally had a child die (of illness) in the process of adopting. So it’s just a maddening process. It’s very painful,” said one U.S. adoptive parent, speaking on condition of anonymity, after smuggling a second child out of DRC.
Once out of DRC, the smuggled children are reunited with adoptive parents in Rwanda, Ethiopia or Zambia, those familiar with the practise say, before going to their U.S. homes.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-c...0SM1XH20151028
Tell me what the adoptive parents have done wrong? Again, if there were all these problems, then why were the IR3 visas approved and why did the Congo government enact this exit visa. Who is holding whom hostage in this situation? Why are not indictments being filed against the guilty parties?
Some of these children have been able to come home.
Congo Lets 150 Adopted Children Join Families in U.S. After Two-Year Limbo So does this mean the Congo pardoned these adoptive parents, caved in to political pressure, or assured themselves that none of the 150 child were being placed into gay homes. Clearly, it's not complaint with US law and my understanding that both countries laws must be complied with before any adoption can be finalized and an IR3 visa issued.
I also think it clear that the US State Department position on international adoption is to stop international adoptions. The numbers don't lie and it appears their plan is working. I would also put this problem as a contributing factors with domestic adoptions. Millions of couples stopped trying to adopt internationally and focused their efforts on domestic adoptions. I wonder what pressure a couple of million childless couples can exert on the US's domestic infant process? I also wonder how many children die internationally due to foreigners being unable to adopt internationally.
I'm also going to post this article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...blic-congo-msf
Just another google search with non-relevant material.
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