Adoptions from Nigeria suspended

A ban against adopting kids from Nigeria will hopefully put illegal baby factories out of business

The social affairs minister, Manu Sareen, decided on Tuesday to ban all adoptions from Nigeria, a country where pregnant women have been caught selling their kids for adoption on the black market.

The decision came after the national appeals board Ankestyrelsen found that increased corruption, document fraud and the Nigerian authorities' control of the adoption process made it no longer justifiable to adopt children from the country.

"We must do anything we can to protect the children and give the families security. If Ankestyrelsen finds it necessary to suspend adoptions from Nigeria, I have to take action," said the social affairs minister, adding that the ban wouldn't affect couples who have already been matched with a child.

Raids against baby factories
In March, Nigerian police raided a so-called Nigerian baby factory in the capital Lagos and arrested eight pregnant women who planned to sell their newborns for $2,000 each.

The Guardian states that more than 100 women have been discovered trying to sell their babies for adoption since 2011.




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