Illegal adoptions contribute to child trafficking

Illegal adoptions contribute to child trafficking
In a new report, World Vision highlights illegal adoption as a contributing factor to child trafficking.

The report, 10 Things You Need To Know About Human Trafficking, warns of situations in which desperation and vulnerability may lead to parties overlooking both the law and child rights in the adoption process.

“It’s important to have systems in place, particularly in vulnerable communities, to ensure the best interests of the child are always at the heart of any adoption,” says World Vision UK’s Child Rights Advisor Philippa Lei.

“As this report highlights, circumventing those systems sets a dangerous precedent that can ultimately contribute to child trafficking.”

The report draws on the aid agency’s extensive experience in the Asia Pacific Region where children are trafficked at an alarming rate. The issues it raises are applicable across the board, says Lei.

“Child trafficking is a violation of the most basic human rights and every step should be taken to reduce its occurrence and impact on children all over the world.”

Other issues related to trafficking, highlighted in the report, include the added vulnerability of those living with disability, the range of industries children are trafficked into, the prevalence of trafficking of men and boys, and the disturbing fact that one in five victims fall prey a second time.

1 July 2009

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