Income children
Google translation from Russian:
15/4/1997
Income children
The international adoption of children - one of the most mysterious and scandalous problems of Russia. Fog, envelops the humanitarian industry generates incredible rumors - and brings greater profits. From time to time, trying to disperse the fog representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office Russia, sending responsible and interested persons to its formal protest and help. We can not say that the efforts of management Prosecution oversight over the implementation of laws relating to minors does not provide any results. But, unfortunately, it seems to platonovskogo Kopenkina trooper, who cavort on the steppes and tirelessly rubil drafts radio belogvardeytsev. Office of General Prosecutor can not win the industry "international adoptions", as well as radio waves can not be cut drafts.
Perhaps the principal throughout the story remains the question: to adopt children from Russia or buy? Legally correct answer is still no. But otbrosiv to the usual talk of a "supreme humanitarian mission, you can say that the child buy in order to adopt it. More precisely - buying officials, from whom everything depends. That was four years ago. So remains to this day. Now the country is divided into zones of responsibility or area of the market adoptions. In each zone several agents, wreathed in the overall network whomever U.S. adoption agencies are called "facilitators". Foreigners wishing to adopt a child from Russia, will inevitably get into these networks and are forced to pay substantial money for the child.
There is no point now rehearse horrific stories about selling children for spare parts. " However, once chief of police of the city of Bari (Italy) confessed that they had criminal charges of smuggling of human organs, from St. Petersburg. But in the shadow of criminal there is a real and well-organized market adoption.
Big money
In recent years, the final decision on adoption by local authorities, but a few months ago, the Russian practice of adoption has changed significantly. Now the case is decided in court. This is indeed a progress compared to going before lawlessness. Even in cases where the Attorney General's Office did not identify signs of blatant greed, people associated with adoption are not constrained engaged in fabricating documents. For example, Consul one of the Latin American countries in Moscow in an attempt to adopt a child here, has already received permission, but came to the attention of the Prosecution.
"She and her husband wanted to adopt rebenochka - tells the then head of the prosecutor's office to oversee the implementation of laws on juvenile Gennady skid. - We have documents which they gave up for adoption. Well, there linden at Lipa, a single original document. For example, is required certificate from the Ministry of Health of their country. In case there is indeed a certificate from there, that parents in the beautiful state of health that they can give a child, and food and care. Suddenly look - at our request the same embassy gives its certificate, which states that her husband is paralyzed. On a former military pilot, ejected and badly broken spine. It is now riveted on the wheelchair, and he takes care of his wife. honor and praise this woman, but lying is why? And so it was almost all information, whatever touch. That is a level of documents submitted for signature by heads of administrations, and they take a very responsible decision on the fate of the child. After the court such things, of course, can not pass, although one can not but recognize that there are a lot of abuse and in the courts ...
But now - continues to skid - a new problem. We have received signals that the places do not give information to the federal data bank on children. More precisely, comes incomplete information. Federal Bank has information on 35 thousand children. The local information banks even less. It is very possible underground activities. Children are most likely healthy, hiding and not registered in official lists. By federal data bank in the Ministry of Education have virtually no access, and without permission from the Ministry of no court will confirm the adoption. So, there is a double-entry bookkeeping. We provezti across the border panto, antlers much harder than the child. So I think that our bureaucracy, for which we obzyvayut of any, even the red-brown, was acquitted. At the orphanages before anyone did not pay attention. No they have not helped, they were poor, and then suddenly they are offered gifts, humanitarian assistance, and, of course, people razmyakli and even entered the taste of ... "
"Children's" business not only brings millions and millions of dollars, but also allows the West to evade taxes and launder criminal money. It is no coincidence that several Russian mafia bosses are paying great attention to orphans. On its own, of course. In Israel, there is the so-called international non-governmental foundation "House of Orphans." President of this very strange "design" with a loud title was arrested in Switzerland solntsevskoy mafia head Sergei Mikhailov. Why him? A unique answer to this question is contained in the statement of Director General of the Israeli National Child Protection Yitzhak Kadmana, which argues that in Israel there are underground market for adoptions of children from Russia. For each child paid $ 20 thousand repeated requests the National Council of the police resulted in the fact that Israel has been arrested several people, immigrants from Russia, engaged in clandestine adoptions.
The potential market for Russian adoptions - about one billion dollars: surrogate mothers, children abandoned in maternity wards babies, babies of children's homes, from children's homes and so on. Unfortunately, this capacity only growing. Growing and incomes shadow market. Compare: in 1992, Russians have adopted 12 942 children, foreigners - 678 children. In 1995, Russians have adopted only 11 thousand, and foreigners - 5 200 children.
Big money raised crush on the Russian market. One of the most aggressive in this market is Nina Kostina, emigrated to the time of the Soviet Union in the USA. Two years ago about her agency "Frank" razoblachitelnye article published in Russia and the United States itself, where v. Costin had several trials for fraud and forgery, even the FBI.
So, a few days ago, this lady once again arrived in Russia for children. No problem. Including permits from the Ministry of Education. It is still running a network of two dozen brokers in various regions of Russia. Seldom talking with reporters, they, like their counterparts in the Ministry of Education, likes to talk about "saving the Russian orphans" international adoption. But between them is not shy. In a message faxed chief representative of Kostin in Russia Armen Popova, he lists the children of another group on adoption and finds these words: "... Total: 21 (twenty-one) thing and inexpensive! .." The market is the market.
Background
The issue of international adoptions in Russia emerged in 1991. And, of course, started with all the officials that the Soviet tradition had the right to dispose of. The nature of the first transaction was also traditional - barter. There - children from there - office equipment, for example. Depending on the needs of the Ministry of Education officials. The ministry was the first "coordinator" of Western adoption agencies.
As early as 1991 in the Soviet Union povalili representatives of such companies from the U.S. and Europe. Especially in the U.S.. Finding children will inevitably lead them into the wall ministry, where people sat experienced in all respects. Ministry officials Lyudmila Fimina and Alla Dzugaeva first "interested in new activity" in the words of the drafters help the Prosecutor General's Office. Podobrav group of children from orphanages in Moscow and the Republic of Mari El, they went with them on a trip to the United States.
Around the same time the Government has set up its Moscow Center for Adoption, which started move of Russian children in Sweden. Formal occasion for a "new activity" was the treatment of Swedish adoption agencies to the head of the rehabilitative services of the Ministry of Education Gennady Makarov. The appeal included a request to assist in the adoption of Russian children by nationals of Sweden.
Later, the Prosecutor General's Office instituted criminal proceedings against Makarova, and his deputy, Sergei Gramolina, who on behalf of the Ministry began handing out permits for adoption rather than "exceeded its authority and violated existing laws." Makarov, apparently, he realized that he had "exceeded" and "violated" because shortly after the scandal resigned from the ministry. This allowed smother the history and stop the criminal case.
Meanwhile, the tour Fiminoy and Dzugaevoy in America has been very productive. Already in October 1991, their boss, Deputy Minister of Education of Russia Sanal Badmaev signed the first major agreement with U.S. firm Hawaii International. Ministry officials were to look for orphans for adoption, and the Americans - is located in the U.S. families wishing to adopt a child, and to supply Russian business partners everything they need equipment. These include office equipment, medicines, clothes and toys.
In addition, the agreement was an item under which the American side had pledged to "grant funding advice of specialists." Did you mean free travel in the U.S. (plus a lot of pocket expenses) of Russian officials from the Ministry of Education. These little joy to behold functionaries.
A month later Badmaevym agreement was signed with the company Adoption Service Associates under the same conditions as the first company. After protests the Prosecutor General's Office Ministry of Education was forced to terminate their agreements, and Badmaev permanently left the home office.
This made a bad impression on all interested parties, but instituting of halyavnyh travel abroad officials have not taken place. And now, in February 1992, First Deputy Minister of Education Vladimir Novices signed the order on the establishment under the Ministry of Legal Consultative agency right of the child. " That was the beginning of big business.
The rationale for creating the agency explained in order for a very dramatic and terrible sense of expressive words: "in order to ensure the legal system, public assistance and child support, full protection of the rights and legitimate interests of minors and effective work on the transfer of children from institutions for orphans and children Left without parental care in foster families ... " Initiated the creation of the agency were all the same Lyudmila Fimina, became its director, and Alla Dzugaeva. After replying to questions prosecutors Fimina well explain the position of Deputy Minister Novichkova: "Vyplyvem - well, not vyplyvem - Ministry on the sidelines." The Ministry came out, but Novichkovu eventually had to part with a post. He was dismissed on suspicion of corruption.
Adoption agencies are forced to reckon with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in some countries have serious indulgence in taxes, as recorded as "profit". In "some" because private adoption agencies rather typical for North America than in Europe. In Spain, for example, almost non-existent, and everything that relates to the adoption, is under the full control of public authorities.
In the U.S., the future parents pay only the efforts of agency staff who, through their brokers helped them find the child and to collect a large number of documents required to register the adoption in government. Parents have every right to act independently, but often prefer to shift the agency is still the difficulty of finding the child in other countries. This does not mean that American agencies do not fraudsters and extortionists, but usually all requisitions are written off with "wild Russian market, where all must pay. And the Americans to adopt an American child is several times tougher than Russia's.
With regard to public bodies, like our Ministry of Education, this is where there are no fees to people who wish to adopt a child. Costs tend to be associated primarily with lawyers and collecting all kinds of information. For example, medical examinations or financial position for future parents. Moreover, the adopted child abroad more often than not immediately receive the citizenship of their new parents and is entitled to considerable social assistance. The same as if he was her childhood home in the same country.
According to its statute, the agency "right of the child" should have been collected for the Ministry of information on children without parental care, and families wishing to adopt a child. The statute also referred to the various forms of technical and legal assistance. However, no specific reference to international adoption and related revenues were not. Nevertheless, the state agency in effect from the beginning focused on the fact that the selected children and send them to foreign adoptive parents. "The right of the child" has entered into agreements with 14 foreign agencies and with the 48 "individual adopters", opening the foreign exchange and ruble accounts at the bank Credit-Moscow ". For each child agency demanded $ 1 thousand
The scheme was win-win. Many provincial departments of education thought Agency "right of the child" division of the ministry, and when they require full information on the children they have, of course, passed in Moscow. In doing so, they still priplachivali fees, which are two to three times the monthly salary. The General Prosecutor's Office is not without reason to believe that direct bribery. Agency prosper in the first year received a net profit 33 million rubles (in 1992!). It was only because it was under the wing of the Ministry of Education. The heads of ministries, feeling backset breath prosecutors have transformed agency "right of the child" in the Closed Joint-Stock Company with the same name and functions. In other words, the federal data bank for orphaned children in a "stock" hands.
"With the care of children"
However, these figures are unlikely to reflect reality. The fact is that the adoption of a child from Russia for U.S. costs $ 13.5 thousand This amount is not small added cost of the trip, paid work and other services. As a result, the total could reach $ 20 thousand or more. It depends on the appetites of Russian officials and middlemen. The amount of $ 1 thousand, that agency "right of the child" charge for each child is fictitious. And not only because of the amount, as explained in the prosecutor's office director Fimina, drawn at random. " Fictional, it is for the simple reason that in fact the leaders of the rights of the child demanded by American agencies and adoptive parents a fee of $ 5 thousand and above. Only the money in Russia is not shown, and transferred to an account opened at Bank of New York, which is located on Wall Street, in Manhattan. Account: 890005703-Agency Right Children 00107081153.
This mechanism is quite clearly described in the long-standing and nearly forgotten letter sent from adoption agencies Illien Adoptions International in the Russian Embassy in the United States. A letter signed by the head of the agency Kate Makgreu and a group of Americans trying to adopt Russian children. Makgreu said that in addition to $ 5 thousand of Americans required to pay all travel expenses when traveling to the U.S. six Russian citizens. In doing so, ministerial officials explained that the bulk of the $ 5 thousand is a kind of humanitarian assistance to children's home, where he lived an adopted child. In fact, the orphanage received only $ 150.
"The sums destined child home - wrote a letter in late Makgreu - should be sent directly to children's homes, rather than on a secret account in New York. We also believe that neither our family nor the children whom they hope to adopt, should not be held hostage by unethical and unprofessional actions of dealing with foster children ... "
The six mentioned in the letter, fairly easy to identify: officials of the Ministry of Education, their representative in the region, where the children and the chief medical officer, to sign "correct" information. Recently, the "export abroad" and "pocket money" have become the main mode of corruption among officials.
A few weeks ago from Russia removed five children in the United States, one child - in Switzerland. "Withdrew" their lady, which is already more than four years "working" on the Russian market.