Switzerland plans to end international adoptions

Switzerland's government said on Wednesday it planned to ban international adoptions due to concerns about abuses in the practice.

Based on the findings of an independent group of experts, the government said that "even well-crafted adoption laws cannot prevent abuse and that a ban is the best way to adequately protect all those affected, particularly children."

The government said it aimed to draw up a proposal by the end of next year for a public consultation on the ban.

It said that serious irregularities had occurred in international adoptions in the past and that it had taken its decision after commissioning the report by the experts.

It also noted that the number of such adoptions has recently fallen sharply, from several hundred to about 30 per year. It said that it would explore possible exceptions under the legislative process, in particular for intrafamily adoptions, in which children are adopted by a step-parent or relative.