Should Foreign Adoption be Illegal?

Introduction

Foreign adoption is a type of implementation whereby a person or even a couple become legitimate parents of a child, whose nationality is different from the couple’s. In order for one to adopt a kid, he or she should be able to meet the requirements of adopting children. In addition, the person should meet the child adoption requirements of the mother country. If one meets these requirements, then he or she can become the parent of the child, and is entitled to provide the child with total care. On the other hand, the person adopting the child should also meet the requirements of his own country, in order to be able to successfully live with the child in peace. Different countries consequently have different laws concerning the adoption of foreign children, and it is therefore necessary to review such laws before adopting a child. Child adoption has been very successful over the years, however, different countries are coming up with strict laws against foreign adoption, since most people adopt children only to use them for evil purposes. This paper is consequently going to look at the positive and negative impacts of foreign adoption, in a bid to provide the reasons as to why foreign adoption should be illegal.

Most children who are usually adopted come from developing countries, due to poverty, the high rates of HIV/AIDs, and war in these countries (Fenton, 2014). Orphans and street children from developing countries end up being adopted, since they do not have parents to take care of them. In most countries, particularly African countries, due to the spread of HIV/AIDs, most teenagers end up being impregnated and infected with HIV/AIDs while looking for money through prostitution. After giving birth, the young mothers end up losing their lives, leaving their children with no known fathers. This makes it hard for poor families to be able to take of such children, hence sending them to orphanages, while others end up in the streets (Kim, 2017).

The children who end up in orphanages are not usually very luck, since the orphanages are usually supported by well-wishers (Pertman, 2011). This makes it hard for the orphanages to be able to fully cater for the needs of the children, since they may not have enough funds to cater for the huge demands of children in the orphanages. This therefore brings in foreign adoption, which is usually thought to be a very good way of supporting these children.

Positive Impacts of Foreign Adoption.

            When a child is adopted by a well of foreigner, this allows the child to be able to enjoy the privileges which he or she could not be able to enjoy while at the orphanage (Kim, 2017). These privileges include being taken to a good school, receiving all basic needs and even getting parental love from the new parents. In addition, the orphanages tend to benefit from foreign adoption, since foreign adoption enables them to reduce the number of children in the orphanages (Fenton, 2014). This therefore saves the child from poverty, allowing him or her to be able to grow up and become a better person in life, rather than suffering while in the orphanage.

            The child’s mother country, also benefits, since the child will be able to receive all the basic needs which he or she may require. In addition, this reduces poverty levels in such countries, since children whose parents are not known, or both parents are dead can be taken good care of by a well-wisher (Schwarzwald et al, 2015). In most cases, developing countries tend to fully benefit, since the cost of taking care of such a child is reduced. Hence, most developing countries allow foreign adoption, and they not also have strict regulations regarding foreign adoption.

Reducing the levels of poverty is also another major impact of foreign adoption, since it allows orphaned children, to be able to move to countries with better health and educational services. This consequently reduces the effect of poverty in developing countries, since the adopted children can be able to benefit from the adoption (Fenton, 2014). When orphans living in orphanages in developing countries grow up, they may not be able to get higher education, due to the high costs of education. This consequently makes them to end up in streets, or even indulge in crime in order to cater for their needs. When foreigners adopt such children while young and move with them to their countries, this consequently helps in improving the security of developing countries, since such kids can be able to improve their lives as they grow up (Pertman, 2011).

Negative Impacts of Foreign Adoption

Foreign adoption has currently been linked to child trafficking, whereby a foreigner adopts a child, and ends up using the child for evil purposes (Kim, 2017). Most people tend to sell such children abroad where they are used for the production of child pornography. This consequently goes against the dictates of international adoption (Pertman, 2011). A person is supposed to adopt a child, only if he or she is able to take care of the child, and to offer parental love and all the basic needs which the child might require. Foreign adoption is allowed in order to allow children to be able to enjoy their basic needs and not to be abused.

On the other hand, some people use these children as slaves, where they are forced to work in hotels and night clubs in their teenage ages for no pay, or even for less pay (Schwarzwald et al, 2015). They are consequently not allowed their rights to go to school, thus making them to suffer, and be at the risk of contracting diseases while working in night clubs, particularly if they are raped. Due to such factors, the international community had to come up with very strict regulations regarding foreign adoption, in order to protect the rights of adopted children (Pertman, 2011).

Most countries are currently experiencing child laundering, since foreign adoption has become more of a business (Fenton, 2014). Kidnappers are currently kidnapping children at their very young ages, these children are not usually orphans, but they are kidnapped and taken to orphanages for foreign adoption. This has consequently increased the rates of child laundering in the world, since most people have turned foreign adoption into a business. When a kidnapper kidnaps a child and sells him or her for international adoption, the kidnapper earns a lot of money, a thing which has consequently made most people to lose their children to kidnappers who end up selling them. Children are now being used as a means of gaining wealth (Kim, 2017).

According to my point of view, I strongly believe that child adoption should be illegal. This is basically because no one knows the type of life that the child will lead after being adopted by the foreigner. In addition, the child might be use for illegal means, a thing which might end up affecting the child either physically, emotionally or even mentally (Pertman, 2011). For instance, when an adopted child is sold for sex trafficking, no one can be able to protect the child from such acts, and this is because the child’s mother country has no control over the child, while he or she has been adopted and taken to a foreign country. In addition, there are no regulations which are put in place, in order to make sure that the child does not pass through any forms of mistreatment. This consequently makes adopted children vulnerable to sex trafficking and even being abused (Fenton, 2014).

Instead, poor countries, and countries which are currently being faced by war, should consequently partner with the international community, whereby the rights of the children will be protect, and not to be adopted by foreigners (Schwarzwald et al, 2015). This will consequently allow such children to be able to enjoy their liberty, since the international community will be able to cater for their needs, hence being able to reach their future goals when they grow up. This will consequently allow such children to benefit fully, other than being foreign adoption, whereby the intentions of the person adopting the child are not known (Fenton, 2014).

Conclusion

Foreign adoption was one of the best ways of dealing with the issue of orphans in developing and warring countries. This has however changed, since most people have turned foreign adoption into business, whereby they can be able to adopt children, and end up selling them for sexual trafficking, thus earning themselves a lot of money. In addition, the rates of child laundering in the world have also risen, whereby most people are being attracted to the lucrative business of child trafficking. Most families have ended up losing their children, who are usually kidnapped, and sold for adoption or even to foreign countries, where they are used for sex trafficking or even for supply of illegal drugs in different areas. This has consequently made it hard for the adopted children to be able to enjoy their rights, since they are in most cases adopted, in order to be used for money making purposes. Foreign adoption should therefore be illegal, since it is becoming more of a business, than a means of supporting orphans.

Reference

Fenton-Glynn, C. (2014). Children's rights in intercountry adoption: A European perspective. Cambridge: Intersentia.

Schwarzwald, H., Collins, E. M., Gillespie, S., & Spinks-Franklin, A. I. A. (2015). International adoption and clinical practice.

Pertman, A. (2011). Adoption nation: How the adoption revolution is transforming our families-- and America. Boston, Mass: Harvard Common Press.

Kim, O. (2017). Effects and Implications of Kazakhstan's Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards. Columbia University Press.

Aronowitz, A. A. (2009). Human trafficking, human misery: The global trade in human beings. Westport, Conn: Praeger.