|
Loading...
Adoption of Tsunami Orphans
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services joins people around
the world in expressing condolence to the thousands who have
experienced incredible devastation from the recent earthquake
and tsunami that affected a number of countries in the Indian
Ocean region. Americans have reacted to the catastrophic events
in many generous ways, and some have offered to open their
homes, via adoption, to children who have survived the natural
disasters. While these good intentions are commendable, this
is not the recommended solution, at least in the short term.
The international standard among adoption professionals in a
crisis is to keep children as close to their family members and
community as possible. It is often difficult to determine whether
children whose parents are missing are truly orphans. In the
current situation, many children have become separated from one
or both of their parents whose fate is unknown. Even when children
are indeed orphaned, they are often taken in by other relatives.
Staying with relatives in extended family units is generally
a better solution than uprooting the child completely. Also,
in the immediate aftermath of such disasters, a country's government
may be in disarray and what resources are available may be deployed
on recovery projects.
USCIS believes that it will take many months before the countries
affected by the disaster will be able to identify the children
who are actual orphans. It is only if and when these countries
decide to make these orphans available for international adoption
that American citizens will be able to begin adoption proceedings
for those children who also qualify as orphans as defined in
the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Additional information regarding the process of inter-country
adoptions by U.S. citizens can be found at:
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/index2.htm
Additional information regarding specific rules and laws
governing international adoption from some of the affected
countries
may be found at the Department of State web links below:
India
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_398.html
(more) www.dhs.gov
Thailand
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_337.html
Indonesia
http://www.usembassyjakarta.org/consular/adopting.html
Sri Lanka
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_325.html
Malaysia
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_418.html
Bangladesh
http://travel.state.gov/family/
|
