Sending Countries

In March 2018, LICADHO, a Cambodian rights NGO published a report examining intercountry adoptions from the late 1980s up to 2009, the year Cambodia suspended all intercountry adoptions to allow for improvements to be made. Drawing on legal cases and interviews with birthmothers, the NGO documented evidence of widespread fraud and corruption, including children removed from their country and sent abroad without their families’ consent. The women involved in the three cases presented were all living in poverty and had placed their children in orphanages so they could receive better care but kept visiting them regularly.

Although some changes were made to the adoption laws, LICADHO sustained that only a few practical measures had been put in place. The NGO noted that since the suspension in 2009, there had been no record of prosecution for these crimes, nor any substantial investigation undertaken by the Cambodian authorities. The report called on the Cambodian government to issue an apology to those affected and suggested establishing a system for investigation and redress for the Cambodian families that were involved in these illicit adoption practices.[1]

None of these recommendations appear to have been acted upon. Consequently, the Social Affairs Ministry’s announcement that intercountry adoptions would re-start in 2022 generated a widespread discontent and concern that fraud and corruption would keep happening without adequate mechanisms remained present.[2] In June 2023, a coalition of Cambodian NGOs, namely Cambodian Center for Human Rights, ADHOC and LICADHO, together with Intercountry Adoptee Voices issued a joint statement against the re-opening of intercountry adoptions, referencing the findings of the 2018 report.

As of 2023, the Cambodian government publicly defended its reopening plans with Italy and did not initiate any formal investigation into past illicit adoption practices.[3] Despite NGO pressure, the government has proceeded with the resumption of intercountry adoptions, as reported by media sources.

_______________

[1] LICADHO, ‘Cambodia’s Stolen Children: Fraud and Corruption in International Adoption Trade’ (Press Release, 30 March 2018) <https://www.licadho-cambodia.org/pressrelease.php?perm=432> accessed 16 November 2025.

[2] ‘Cambodia to resume controversial child adoptions’ (PREDA Foundation, 5 April 2022) <https://preda.org/cambodia-to-resume-controversial-child-adoptions/> accessed 16 November 2025.

[3] LICADHO, ‘Cambodia and Italy Must Not Recommence Intercountry Adoptions’ (Press Release, 28 June 2023) <https://www.licadho-cambodia.org/pressrelease.php?perm=512> accessed 16 November 2025.

_______________

Cambodia’s stolen children: fraud and corruption in the intercountry adoption system (2018)

Report in English: https://www.licadho-cambodia.org/reports/files/226LICADHOAdoptionReport30March2018_ENG.pdf