For the well-being of children and loving families – against stigmatization
Petition to the Federal Council
International adoptions should remain permitted!
They provide orphans and abandoned children with access to education, medical care, and a loving family.
A stable family environment is far more beneficial for a child's development than growing up in an institution.
With strict legal controls, abuse and child trafficking can be effectively curbed, ensuring that adoptions are transparent and conducted in the best interests of the child. This is a better option than denying countless children and adoptive parents the joy of family life due to avoidable abuses and stigmatizing existing adoptive families through a ban.
Therefore:
Sign the petition now and demand from the Federal Council:
Stop the planned ban on international adoptions! For the well-being of children and for loving families.
Thank you very much!
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The Federal Council's Plan
At the end of January 2025, the Federal Council announced its intention to ban international adoptions. This would mean that adopting children from abroad would no longer be possible in Switzerland.
A concrete ban is to be drafted by the end of 2026. However, the Federal Council’s decision already acts as a moratorium: Since adoption processes usually take several years, there is great uncertainty, and a de facto halt to adoptions is already looming, even without a law.
Learning from the Past, Preventing Abuse
In the past, serious abuses occurred in international adoptions to Switzerland. Children were forcibly taken from their families in their home countries and traded for adoption.
Such cases of child trafficking are horrific and must absolutely be prevented.
However, it is wrong to ban international adoptions entirely! Since the Hague Adoption Convention came into effect, strong protective regulations have been introduced and enforced. Effective adoption laws, high standards in the countries of origin, and competent support in Switzerland can prevent abuse.
No Stigmatization of Adoptive Families
A ban on international adoptions sends a dangerous signal: adoptive parents are stigmatized as potential perpetrators of child trafficking, and adopted children are seen as victims of their adoption.
This is unfair and does not reflect reality. The vast majority of adoptive parents take full responsibility for a transparent and ethical adoption process. Many adopted individuals have found a loving family and a home in Switzerland.
It is wrong to pass a law that indiscriminately lumps all cases together.
Petition Author
National Councilor and Adoptee Nik Gugger
Nik Gugger was born in 1970 in the southern Indian state of Kerala. As a poor and widowed woman, his mother placed him for adoption as a newborn.
A Swiss couple, who were childless and working nearby for an aid organization, learned about the newborn’s situation and adopted him. This gave Nik Gugger a loving family and a home in Switzerland.
Today, he is a social entrepreneur, EVP National Councilor, and father of three, living with his family in Winterthur. He feels as closely connected to his Indian roots as he does to his home in Switzerland.
