MPs have voted in favour of a motion that could lead to an end to foreign adoptions by Dutch families. 

A majority of MPs voted in favour of a Socialist party motion calling on the cabinet to come up with a plan to “carefully wind down” foreign adoptions, ignoring calls by legal protection minister Franc Weerwind to vote against it. 

The motion was backed by the far-right PVV and other right-wing parties as well as ChristenUnie and the pro-animal PvdD.  

Adoption is currently only permitted from eight countries – the Philipines, Hungary, Lesotho, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, Bulgaria and Portugal. The new restrictions were introduced in 2022 following the publication of a report that slammed the lack of care in transnational adoption processes. 

That report condemned the role of government officials and highlighted a wide range of abuses, including corruption, forgery and child snatching. It also led to all international adoptions being halted.