We have been hearing some disturbing reports about Adoption Agencies offering Moroccan Adoptions. Here is the requirements for adoptions in Morocco and a article from March 2010 that describes how a 10 year old "Christian Orphanage" was shut down by the government. Where are the 30 children in the orphanage?
UPDATE FROM PEAR WEBSITE-Cautionary statement and clarification on Moroccan Adoptions
http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2010/08/cautionary-statement-and-clarification.html
UPDATE FROM US EMBASSY STATE WEBSITE STATES THAT MOROCCO IS NOT A SIGNATOR TO THE HAGUE CONVENTION. SO ANY ADOPTIONS AT THIS TIME ARE DONE AS AN INDEPENDENT ADOPTION. PLEASE NOTE THAT THEY COULD CHANGE THEIR POLICY AT ANY TIME.
Legal "Adoption" in Morocco
In can be quite difficult to adopt a child in Morocco. However, there are several orphanages in Morocco that have a record of arranging for the adoption by non-Moroccans of Moroccan children. These orphanages issue specially worded adoption decrees to foreigners that allow the child to be raised by the "adoptive" parents and to be taken out of Morocco.
In order to adopt a child in Morocco, you must become officially Moslem and obtain a document to that effect from the appropriate religious authorities in Morocco. Statements asserting that Moslem beliefs are held by an American from any religious authorities outside Morocco will not be honored. You must also demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Moroccan authorities that you were resident in Morocco prior to your adoption of a Moroccan child. There is no set time period for residence, which means that Moroccan authorities can essentially decide at will who is and who is not a qualified resident.
The paperwork involved in Moroccan adoption is extensive and time-consuming to obtain. Documents required include birth certificates, marriage certificates, and divorce decrees, which should all be either original documents or certified copies.
Employment attestations and bank statements may also be requested. Other documents may be requested as well, and requirements may change without notice and from one case to the next. Translation of documents requires both time and significant expense, especially for lengthy legal documents such as divorce decrees. All translations must be performed in Morocco.
Once the adoption decree is obtained, it can serve as the basis for requesting the Moroccan government to issue the child a Moroccan passport. Obtaining a Moroccan passport takes a minimum of six weeks, and can take even longer.
The adoption decree can also serve as the basis for filing a petition with the INS requesting their clearance for the child to enter the U.S. as an immigrant. This petition should be filed in the United States at the office of the INS having jurisdiction over the petitioner's place of residence. If the petitioner is residing inside Morocco, the petition can be filed at the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca. Since the petition is mailed to the USCIS regional office in Madrid, Spain, processing time for this petition is at least two months, and can be even longer.
If USCIS approves the petition, it will be forwarded to the Consulate-General in Casablanca, the only U.S. immigrant visa issuing post in Morocco. The consular officer in Casablanca will explain the requirements for obtaining a U.S. immigrant visa, which if issued will allow the child to travel to the U.S. for permanent residence.
Please Note: A foreign country's determination that the child is an orphan does not guarantee that the child will be considered an orphan under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. For more specific information on adoption in Morocco, please contact an attorney familiar with Moroccan laws or the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Specific questions regarding child custody in Morocco may be addressed to:
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco
1605 21st Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: (202) 462-7979 to 7982
Fax Number: (202) 265-0161
U.S. Consulate General
Consular Section
8 Boulevard Moulay Youssef
Casablanca, Morocco
Phone: [212] (2) 26-45-50
Fax Number: [212] (2) 20-41-27
or
Consular Section
U.S. Consulate General
PSC 74
Box 24
APO AE 06718
For further information on international adoption, contact the Office of Children's Issues at 202-736-7000, visit our home page on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov, or send a nine-by-twelve-inch, self-addressed envelope to:
NOW THE DISTURBING NEWS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN ORPHANAGE CLOSURE IN MARCH 2010
Washington / Morocco Board News Service / An orphanage called Village of Hope in The mid Atlas Region of Ain Leuh in Morocco, that was being run by 20 expatriates, has been ordered closed by government authorities. they were told that they must leave the country within three days.
A statement from the Moroccan Interior ministry noted that the individuals expelled "exploited some families' poverty and targeted their minor children …. they carried out proselytizing activities aimed at childre nunder the age of 10, adding that the investigation resulted in the seizure of materials used in proselytizing".
The Voice of Hope orphanage has been operating for 10 years, taking abandoned children. Thirty three children lived there, some since its founding in 2000.
The closure came without warning. "We have always been open about our faith to the authorities," said Chris Broadbent, Human Resources Manager for the orphanage. "Watching the children be told by their [foster] parents that they had to leave, that they would maybe never see them again, is the most painful thing I have ever witnessed... This is a shame and a disgrace …" Broadbent says they are in shock as the centre has been operating for 10 years without any issues. He says they are not missionaries, they are just parents who were looking after a group of children. They now holds fears for the orphans they have been forced to leave behind.
This is the latest in recent similar actions by the Moroccan government. On February 4th, authorities raided a Christian meeting in Amzmiz near Marrakech, arresting 18 and deporting a foreign missionary. Since then five other foreign Christian missionaries have been expelled.
this whole conversion to Islam to adopt a child was not in the best interests of our family. we are a Christian family and believe God has asked us to take care of orphans and widows.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous this has been a big controversy for many people. Some justify the lying about conversion for the sake of the child's future.
ReplyDeleteIs it better to lie about your conversion and risk these children having an uncertain future?
Is lying justified when it involves the child's right to a happy future full of choices and possibilities?
What is the big deal about converting to Islam anyways. Our family embraces all religions, I agree if it save the life of one kid who will live in poverty way not just do it.
ReplyDeleteJudith
Hey Judith I agree with you in some respects. But many people feel that it is starting out on a "lie" with your child. If you plan on keeping the religion and practicing Islam then it becomes a non-issue.
ReplyDeleteIt just goes along with the whole deceit and lies with many international adoptions. It is also a responsibility of the Adoption Agency (especially those that profess to be "Christian Agencies) to discuss this issue openly and freely with their paying client who is the prospective adoptive parent. Remember the adoption agency DOES NOT represent the child's best interest it is the country of their origin who does. The Adoption Agency represents their paying client who they have a contract with.
Frankly I think it is stepping in dangerous territories. Moslem countries with S'haria law have their own justice not man's justice but what they think is right according to Allah.
Regardless, it is about the children. They certainly look like very happy and beautiful children from the photos. Maybe the government can pay fellow Morroccans to adopt or foster care for the children.
http://www.vanessakachaduriancharities.blogspot.com
ReplyDeletecheck out our charity for orphans when you have a chance.
Interesting the stats on viewing this page for Moroccan adoptions is very high.
ReplyDeleteChecking the traffic feed a fair amound are coming from Morocco with a few traffic feeds from OME (Office of the Moroccan Embassy)
Interesting no?
my husband and I are both practicing muslim, we are not from Morroco but wish to adopt from there. we have asked a few adoption agencies about their morroco adoption programs and how many adoptions they have conducted. one agency was honest and said "none" to date but we would be the first family. the other agency claimed they didn't know and would get back to us after they spoke with the owner of the agency. it seemed too strange and uncertain to me, since then we have found out this is not a hague country and they would be willing to allow us to conduct an open independant adoption and even more willing since we practice Islam.
ReplyDeletewe hope to take a trip to Morocco this year and find more information.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletedont pay all that money to an agency: adoption from Marocco is FREE of charge. you just need a homestudy and all documents about you, your income, housing etc. Please contact the orphanage Lalla Meryem directly and do as they tell you. They even have a website in French with the list of docuemnts you need to bring to adopt. A lawyer can assist you there for a fraction of the fee of the American agency (they really OVEr charge !)
Leila from France
Leila can you please give us more information about costs and procedures. It seems there is many people interested in this.
ReplyDeleteJudith, the point is what is best for the children, and considering that their parents aren't there to say, the next level is what their community deems best for them, and they deem best that they be raised Muslim. There are Christian orphanages all over the place which will only adopt to Christian parents and I'm not Christian but totally respect that, even though it makes it harder for me to find a child to raise in a loving family. Also, you might think it's not a big deal because your famliy 'embraces all religions,' but what you think isn't the point because it isn't about you -- it's about the child and that child's heritage, which may respect other religions but wants the child to be raised as closely to his/her heritage as possible, which is Muslim. I am Muslim and I don't understand what the issue is considering many Jewish, Christian, and Hindu organizations have the same requirement, and I respect them for that and wouldn't lie to them in order to get my way, since that shows that I'd only be thinking about myself from the start instead of for the child and those who have been caring for him/her.
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