International adoptions

What is the issue?

The Ruiz Postulate 17.4181 instructed the Federal Council to examine, in cooperation with the cantons, the practices of private intermediaries and the cantonal and federal authorities with regard to the adoptions of children from Sri Lanka in the 1980s. In its report, the Federal Council notes, among other things, certain weaknesses in current legislation and practice in international adoptions. A group of experts has analysed the need for action and proposed the necessary changes to legislation and practice. On the basis of these findings, the Federal Council and Parliament will discuss appropriate amendments to adoption law.

What has happened so far?

• On 16 March 2018, the National Council adopted the Ruiz Postulate 17.4181 on investigating adoptions of children from Sri Lanka illegally adopted in Switzerland in the 1980s, and instructed the Federal Council to examine the practices of private intermediaries and the authorities with regard to the said adoptions.
   
  
• Parliamentary debates (17.4181)
  (This document doesn’t exist in English. Please see the German French or Italian version)
  
  
• On 11 December 2020, the Federal Council approved the Postulate report (press release).
  
• On 8 December 2023, the Federal Council takes note of the intermediary report of the Experts’ Group and mandates the Federal Department of Justice and Police to present until the end of 2024 the final report of the Experts’ Group as well as a proposal for further work  (press release).
  
• On 29 January 2025, the Federal Council takes the fundamental decision that it should no longer be possible to adopt children from abroad in Switzerland. The Federal Council instructs the FDJP to submit a report by the end of 2026 (press release).

Documentation

Group of experts final report

Reports

• Bericht der Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW), Januar 2020 (PDF, 3 MB, 14.12.2020)

  (This document is not available in English)

• Summary of the report by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), January 2020 (PDF, 91 kB, 14.12.2020)
• Bericht des Bundesrats zum Postulat Ruiz 17.4181 (PDF, 1 MB, 11.12.2020)
• Rapport du Conseil fédéral donnant suite au postulat Ruiz 17.4181 (PDF, 1 MB, 11.12.2020)
• Rapporto del Consiglio federale in adempimento del postulato 17.4181 (PDF, 1 MB, 11.12.2020)
• Federal Council report in response to the Rebecca Ruiz postulate 17.4181 (PDF, 409 kB, 21.07.2022)

  (Partial English translation)

• Zwischenbericht der Expertengruppe "Internationale Adoption", 28. März 2023 (PDF, 1 MB, 05.12.2023)

  (This document is not available in English)

• Schlussbericht der Expertengruppe "Internationale Adoption", 27. Juni 2024 (PDF, 1006 kB, 03.02.2025)

  (This document is not available in English)

• Rapport final du groupe d’experts "Adoption internationale", 27 juin 2024 (PDF, 816 kB, 03.02.2025)

  (Traduction du chapitre 3 et des recommandations)
  (This document is not available in English)

Dossier

Further information

• Irregular adoptions

Press releases

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To the Federal Administration News Portal

Last modification 29.01.2025