Adoption Industry Ethical & Moral Flaws: Exploitation, Deception, and Identity Loss

While international adoption is often viewed as compassionate, shedding light on its darker complexities is crucial. The process, often marketed as a beacon of hope for orphaned children, conceals a multitude of ethical and moral dilemmas. Behind the veil of goodwill and altruism lies a system entrenched in recruitment strategies, coercion, manipulation, and exploitation, all at the expense of vulnerable families and their children.

Recruitment tactics employed in international adoption often involve targeting illiterate and disadvantaged parents residing in rural areas of various countries. These parents, unaware of the true implications of international adoption, are coerced or manipulated into signing thumbprint adoption documents, often under pretenses or without fully comprehending the lifelong consequences of their actions.

“DON’T TAKE OUR CHILDREN!”

Tragically, many vulnerable parents from around the world are deceived into believing that their children will return to them after receiving an education or that the adoption process will provide their offspring with better opportunities. However, the harsh reality unfolds as children are separated from their roots, culture, and often their identities, never to return as promised.

One of the disturbing facets of this system is the grooming of parents in the act of ‘relinquishment,’ where they are trained in the approved manner of giving up their children. Shockingly, this is facilitated using a teddy bear as a prop, desensitizing parents to the emotional trauma of surrendering their child. These coercive tactics create a façade of legality for the adoptions, shrouded in manipulation and false consent.

The heartbreaking narrative extends further as countless women and men are misled into believing their child has died while the truth remains that their offspring was stolen and transferred to another country. Adding to the injustice, many of these internationally adopted individuals are denied citizenship, the rights granted to citizens. Birth certificates and birth registrations are falsified to portray the adoptive parents as biological, erasing the true origins of the child and perpetuating a cycle of deception.

“This system was expensive: total adoption costs began at the equivalent of $3,500 per child when adoption was first privatised in 1977 and shot up to $45,000 in later years. Despite the cost, private adoptions were more popular than those from orphanages because they were faster and adoptive parents could select the kinds of children they wanted rather than rely on the “supply” of usually older children in orphanages. Jaladoras often had a mandate to find the youngest children possible, or ideally contact pregnant women to sign up babies before birth.”

The Guardian News, Guatemala’s Baby Brokers: How Thousands of Children Were Wtolen for Adoption, by Rachel Nolan.

“YOU TOOK OUR PARENTS!“

The adoption industry, driven by demand and profit, thrives on these orchestrated lies, disregarding the fundamental rights and truths of the adopted individuals who are left to grapple with a fabricated identity and a fractured sense of belonging.

As a society, it’s imperative to question whether this exploitation and manipulation align with our moral compass. Should we allow such a flawed system to persist, perpetuating the suffering and denial of basic rights to those who have already faced immeasurable adversity?

The present moment calls for shedding light on these injustices, advocating for accountability, transparency, and a full stop to international adoption practices. Those who have been adopted deserve to uncover the truth, have their fundamental human rights upheld, and safeguard their identities and cultural backgrounds. Let’s ask for an investigation and a compassionate approach toward individuals impacted by international adoption, emphasizing truth and justice for everyone involved.