Australia is asking for a transitional arrangement for XNUMX Australian couples who have used a Thai surrogate mother to deliver a baby for them since last year. The parents are concerned as commercial surrogacy has come under fire and suspicions of human trafficking have arisen.
Australian Ambassador Jame Wise has made the request for a transitional arrangement during talks with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Social Affairs. He still has to talk to the Thai Immigration Bureau. The ambassador is pleased with the response, which he calls 'very understanding', 'humane' and 'pragmatic'.
This week, Immigration prevented four couples from returning to the US and Australia with their long-desired baby. According to Suwitpol Imjairat, head of Immigration Division 2, an Australian gay couple was stopped because they did not have all the required documents. The couple has not been taken into custody. An American couple who had stopped earlier have now left Thailand after submitting the required papers.
Australia's 200 couples are concerned about their baby's future. They wonder what will happen to the children. Some surrogate mothers may have an abortion because they believe what they have done is against the law.
[It's not yet. A law criminalizing commercial surrogacy is in preparation. Only the doctor who performed the IVF treatment is at risk of losing his license for breaking the regulations of the Medical Council of Thailand.]
The parents are now also faced with a more lengthy procedure. A court order is required to obtain Australian citizenship. This used to be arranged quickly, now it takes three to six months.
As a result of all the hassle, some private hospitals, which were initially supposed to provide antenatal care to surrogate mothers, have transferred the women to state hospitals for further follow-up.
The New Life IVF clinic, which closed on Thursday, had only been operating for two months. The clinic was not licensed to perform IVF treatments. The clinic is not involved in the case of the Japanese who is said to be the father of fifteen babies.
On Monday, the doctor of a clinic, who had previously received a visit and had already been partly evacuated, must report to the police. He is suspected of having performed IVF treatments for the Japanese. If he does not show up, the police will request an arrest warrant for him.
(Source: Bangkok Post, August 16, 2014)
Previous posts:
Australian couple refuse Down baby from surrogate mother
Gammy's parents: We didn't know he existed
Gammy has a healthy heart, the hospital says
Nine baby carriers found; Japanese would be the father
Ban on commercial surrogacy in the works
Japanese 'father' flees; suspicions of human trafficking
The case of surrogate mothers: The (Japanese) birds have flown
Fine journalism about class justice and surrogacy
Seventeen babies, one daddy
Interpol ignores baby trade warning
Second IVF clinic closed
Few responses, I understand very well. It's hard for me to respond, but I'll do it anyway.
Maybe there will be a discussion.
I understand the fervent desire of many people to have children, but I have a lot of trouble with (commercial) surrogacy. Many ethical questions come to my mind.
Often it also appears that the surrogate mother has difficulty giving up the child she has for so long
has worn. There was a strong emotional connection.
Personally, I think this is stronger in commercial surrogacy. After all, the motivation came from financial gain and not from emotion to help a good acquaintance or family.
I respect everyone's opinion and I hope you have mine too, but still I'm glad there is in Thailand
now a serious discussion. And you understand that I'm glad that this surrogacy is probably banned.
THE problem is that it is not only about people who have a burning desire to have children, but also about criminals and suspected human trafficking.
The Japanese who fled Thailand planned (according to the Bangkok Post) to father between 100 and 1000 children. With the best will in the world, you can't call that a child's wish. What he wanted to do with the children is unclear, but the variants range from selling the babies to childless couples to selling organs…..and worse…..
No clemency with childless couples who, if they think a little bit, must have known that what they were doing was not 100% right and are figuring out exactly what will happen to the babies. Every baby that falls into the wrong hands is one too many.