Sweden Urged to Halt International Adoptions Amid Ethical Concerns
Calls intensify in Sweden for a halt to international adoptions due to ethical concerns.
Key Points
- • Anna Singer calls for an end to international adoptions in Sweden due to human rights violations.
- • Investigations revealed serious issues, including child trafficking and undocumented consent.
- • Singer recommends the establishment of a national DNA database for adoptees.
- • Adoptionscentrum criticizes the findings, claiming misrepresentation of the adoption system.
In a significant development, Anna Singer, a government investigator, has issued a call for Sweden to stop all international adoptions, citing serious ethical and human rights violations related to the adoption system. These recommendations were highlighted in an opinion piece published in Dagens Nyheter on June 1, 2025, where Singer emphasized that the risks associated with international adoptions had not been adequately managed.
Singer's investigative findings unearthed numerous irregularities within the adoption processes to Sweden, including instances of child trafficking and the use of undocumented consent from biological parents. In her investigation, she noted that children were sometimes taken from economically disadvantaged families without proper procedures, leading to profound ethical concerns. "Just because international adoptions have been common does not mean they were morally or ethically justified," Singer stated, calling for a reevaluation of Sweden's approach to international adoption. Furthermore, she suggested that the government should issue formal apologies to those affected by these practices and offer financial assistance to individuals wanting to return to their countries of origin to reconnect with their roots.
The recommendations also include the establishment of a national DNA database for adoptees to facilitate tracing their ancestry. These measures were suggested as essential steps for the government to acknowledge and rectify past injustices linked with international adoptions.
This call to action follows an earlier investigation conducted in 2021 which revealed that thousands of adopted children arrived in Sweden under manipulated documents to meet legal standards—raising concerns about the transparency and legality of these practices.
In response to these findings, Adoptionscentrum, Sweden's largest adoption agency, criticized the report, claiming the investigation lacked depth in evaluating the adoption frameworks that have been instrumental in providing care for many children. According to former chairman Wilhelm Kaldo, the investigation's position suggests a dismissal of the positive outcomes fostered through international adoptions.
As discussions continue, the Swedish government is pressured to address these pressing ethical issues surrounding international adoption, indicating a potential shift in policy that could impact future practices significantly.