Swedish Report Proposes Major Restrictions on International Adoptions
In response to both global and domestic revelations of serious shortcomings in the intercountry adoption system, the Swedish government launched an official inquiry on the matter in October 2021. The objective was to assess past practices and propose legal reforms as well as other appropriate measures.
Titled ‘Sweden’s intercountry adoption activities – Lessons learned and the way forward’ (officially referred as SOU 2025:61), the final report was presented on 2 June 2025. Spanning more than 1.500 pages in two volumes, the document presents a comprehensive examination of Sweden’s role in international adoptions. An eight-page summary in English is available on page 51 of volume 1.
Recommendations
Holding that serious shortcomings have occurred, the report recommends a series of measures. These include issuing a public apology to adoptees, establishing a national resource centre for adoption-related matters and providing financial grants to adoptees wishing to visit their countries of origin.
Several recommendations also pertain more directly to private international law.
First, the report suggests that the activity of arranging intercountry adoptions to Sweden shall be phased out.
Second, it is suggested that Sweden shall ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, emphasizing Sweden’s responsibility to investigate past adoption cases under this framework.
Third, it is also suggested that intercountry adoptions shall be restricted to situations when there is a personal relation between the child and the intended parent. For such situations when cross-border adoptions still will be allowed, Sweden as a State must take greater responsibility for securing a due process procedure as well as the best interest of the child.
Comment
If enacted, the suggested proposals will mark a paradigm shift in Sweden’s approach to international adoptions, moving away from a system designed for organized international placements to a model allowing for adoption in exceptional cases only. However, the future-looking policy-shift is perhaps not as dramatic as it first seems. From annual peaks nearing 2.000 in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, international adoptions to Sweden have steadily dropped. In 2024, only 54 adoptions were registered (see statistics here).