Human Trafficking Through International Adoption

Abstract

Corruption and overregulation plague the international adoption system. Overregulation of international adoption is allowing the process to be infiltrated by corrupt businesses and individuals while simultaneously keeping children institutionalized for prolonged periods of time. Overregulation is also causing the cost of international adoption financially burdensome for prospective adoptive families. Monopolizing international adoption violates an orphan's human right to a permanent family and home. Statistics prove that the longer a child remains institutionalized, the more likely the child will suffer from ailments such as malnutrition, disease, and delays in physical, hormonal, cognitive, and emotional development. Regulations that are meant to protect orphans from corruption and human traffickers are instead harming them from institutional neglect and abuse. It is imperative the policy makers deregulate international adoption and streamline the process to place children with their adoptive families as soon as possible.