The Swiss government has announced plans to prohibit international adoptions, citing past widespread legal violations and concerns about ongoing risks.
The decision follows findings that thousands of children may have been unlawfully adopted between the 1970s and 1990s. The announcement was reported by AFP.
The government has tasked the Ministry of Justice with drafting the relevant legislation by the end of 2026. A recent independent analysis revealed that even the strictest adoption regulations cannot fully prevent abuse. This review was commissioned after two studies highlighted the possibility that thousands of children had been illegally adopted from various countries.
“In the past, international adoptions involved significant irregularities. The government regrets that authorities failed to fulfill their duties toward children and their families,” the cabinet stated in an official release.
Independent experts were asked to examine whether legislative reforms could better protect against future abuses. They concluded that while existing measures at the national and regional levels in Switzerland are robust, they are insufficient to completely eliminate the risks.
The government also took into account the sharp decline in international adoptions, which have dropped from several hundred annually to around 30 per year. Domestic adoptions within Switzerland will remain legal.
