Spanish Ombudsman - Colombian Adoptions
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public
GOOGLE TRANSLATION
The requests for international adoptions have increased considerably in recent years, not only in our region but throughout the national territory. The reason is clear: in Spain there are many people who want to adopt children and few likely to be adopted, so it's necessary to go to countries, usually in developing countries, to find children in a position to be adopted.
In adopting it puts the adjective of international if any of the parties involved, adoptive parent or adopted, is not a national, possibly presenting different scenarios. In this section we will refer to the adoption of a child by a foreign adopter Spanish.
At the time of writing this report have quantitative data provided by the Council for Equality and Social Welfare, referring to first half of 2004. In that half the families Andalusian adopted 448 foreign children, a figure which represents an increase of over 60% over the same period last year due to the increased number of children from China and Russia.
During that period were adopted in Andalusia 231 Chinese and 147 Russian children. The rest of the children come from Ukraine (14), Colombia (12), Bulgaria and Nepal (6 each), Honduras (5), India and Peru (4 each); Bolivia and Romania (3 each); Chile , Congo, Haiti and the Dominican Republic (2 each), and Brazil, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Mexico and Panama (1 each).
By province, Sevilla is that during this semester recorded over adoptions, with 122, followed by Malaga (98), Cadiz (83), Jaen (29), Granada (42), Cordova (43), Almeria (14) and Huelva (17). Of the total number of them, 380 were processed through non-governmental organizations such as Partnership for International Adoption (ECAI).
The procedural formalities to complete an international adoption are complex and usually suffer from slow, requiring the assistance of both the competent authorities in our country and in the foreign country, existing international conventions, bilateral or multilateral (primarily known for the Convention Hague) that seek to ensure the rights of children affected by these procedures.
Among the complaints received in this institution regarding international adoption 04/1801 stress the complaint filed by a marriage of British and Irish, respectively, for exposing the bureaucratic problems that were to culminate the process of international adoption that had begun in Colombia .
In its letter to us indicating that they came ECAI the process of adoption had informed them that in all likelihood would have problems in obtaining entry visas to Spain along with the child, since less than it would have already taken according to Justice Colombia could not be enrolled in the registry office of the Consulate of Spain for them to be foreign nationals (despite his nationality of EU countries).
Despite being a matter of private international law, which exceeded the powers of the autonomous community of Andalusia, we decided to contact the Department of Children and Family of the Ministry of Equality and Social Welfare, Government of Andalusia, and this with the aim of finding a possible way of resolving the problem. Since the Directorate-General reaffirmed the complexity of the case as it intermingled issues relating to private international law as regulated in the Hague Convention regarding international adoptions.
Thus, in the International Convention refers to the accreditation of the social and family circumstances of the prospective adoptive parents by the administration of their country of residence (in this case Spain), which had resulted in the dossier that they had started their adoption international in Seville, consistently getting the certificate of suitability for adoption by the Government of Andalusia.
Advanced file, they found that the child they would be allocated in Colombia, which would take under the law and to the judicial authorities of that country, still would not have Spanish nationality because they still lacked the Spanish nationality , Which would hinder its possible entry in the registry office Spanish, nor have entry visa to Spain's lower. To do the latter would be required to register the child in the Civil Registry of the country of which they were nationals, thereby complete the adoption process, which would have no obstacle to enter Spain as adoptive parents and child would be citizens of the European Union.
Since the Directorate General told us that Britain, unlike other European Union countries, does not have decentralized the management of its Civil Registry in its various consulates abroad, which requires applicants for international adoption of British nationality to a trip to London (in this city is the Central Registry Office in that country) to register the child and to acquire British citizenship. With regard to Ireland, from the Directorate General indicated that we lacked data on the subject as if Ireland had consular services in Colombia.
Since the Directorate General of Family and Children told us that the limitations on entry of children adopted abroad by foreign nationals of European Union countries, due to their own precautions the Hague Convention on illicit trafficking of children and girls, as long as the child or has not been officially registered in a registry office in the country of their nationality, such adoption would not take full effect until that time, the adoption would only be recognized by the law of the country provenance of the child.
One possible alternative that we suggested from the aforementioned Directorate General is concerned that the scheduled his trip so that the return along with the child to Spain did so after a stopover in London, there to solve all the formalities of the adoption of the child British brought to justice.
A question concerning the suitability for international adoption us was raised in the complaint 04/2440. The complaint was launched after receiving a letter along the following lines:
"... We are a married couple (36 and 40 years) already since even before we get married (we took 15 years of marriage) we began to raise the possibility of adopting one or more children and unable to have children by biological heart of a problem because it would be in danger at the time of delivery, including the baby.
So in the early 90s we began to inform us about how to take our son and we were forced to expand our home so that our future son had more space, all this was before taking the first step.
In 1998 we went to the first national meeting on adoption in which we were informed of the operation of this, applications, etc.. and so on. At the same time that invites us to open a file for International Adoption, due to lack of children in our country.
According to our intention to open two files, one national and one international, knowing that the dossier would be in a National lethargy for several years as we have explained as well and was therefore focus our attention on the dossier International.
We did a study of countries, agencies and so on. and so on. And we opted for the more serious option that we thought: ADECOP-ROMANIA. And after all the necessary processing here in Spain are entering the waiting list in Romania on January 5, 2000.
After six years of hopes and disappointments, Romania finally decided to quit international adoptions while excluding those who were already in the country on a waiting list.
Some eleven months before the final closure of Romania, our dossier left the National lethargy of those five years, and we were warned for a course and to make the report of Suitability, with a family we did it logical to adopt a child in Spain because they still hoped for our son Romanian. Now with the bad new call to the department of adoptions of Cadiz and tell us that to expand the number of children in the application will have to return to the famous fitness and ditto if we decide otherwise International, which in our view, we see exaggerated and that have just past 9 months of the study at the National and in our life there has been no change whatsoever.
We have never opposed any processing necessary for our adoption, which was outside. We have always wanted to participate and provide all kinds of requirements and we have always believed needed every one of the steps to follow in order to access the possibility of creating a family through adoption.
As far as we are writing to you if there is any way to speed up the process and be able to see fulfilled our dream of being parents ... "
After accepting the complaint procedure to ask the relevant report to the Provincial Delegation for Equality and Social Welfare of Cadiz, which justified its intervention in consideration of the dissimilarity of different records urged adoption by the stakeholders, in a case of national adoption respect of a certain age group, later expanding the number of potential adoptandos, and lastly referring to international adoption in accordance with the requirements of the country or countries in question.
Weighted the circumstances we conclude our statement on the record admitting as reasonable the arguments made by the provincial branch, without apreciáramos irregularities in the administrative decision in question.
In adopting it puts the adjective of international if any of the parties involved, adoptive parent or adopted, is not a national, possibly presenting different scenarios. In this section we will refer to the adoption of a child by a foreign adopter Spanish.
At the time of writing this report have quantitative data provided by the Council for Equality and Social Welfare, referring to first half of 2004. In that half the families Andalusian adopted 448 foreign children, a figure which represents an increase of over 60% over the same period last year due to the increased number of children from China and Russia.
During that period were adopted in Andalusia 231 Chinese and 147 Russian children. The rest of the children come from Ukraine (14), Colombia (12), Bulgaria and Nepal (6 each), Honduras (5), India and Peru (4 each); Bolivia and Romania (3 each); Chile , Congo, Haiti and the Dominican Republic (2 each), and Brazil, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Mexico and Panama (1 each).
By province, Sevilla is that during this semester recorded over adoptions, with 122, followed by Malaga (98), Cadiz (83), Jaen (29), Granada (42), Cordova (43), Almeria (14) and Huelva (17). Of the total number of them, 380 were processed through non-governmental organizations such as Partnership for International Adoption (ECAI).
The procedural formalities to complete an international adoption are complex and usually suffer from slow, requiring the assistance of both the competent authorities in our country and in the foreign country, existing international conventions, bilateral or multilateral (primarily known for the Convention Hague) that seek to ensure the rights of children affected by these procedures.
Among the complaints received in this institution regarding international adoption 04/1801 stress the complaint filed by a marriage of British and Irish, respectively, for exposing the bureaucratic problems that were to culminate the process of international adoption that had begun in Colombia .
In its letter to us indicating that they came ECAI the process of adoption had informed them that in all likelihood would have problems in obtaining entry visas to Spain along with the child, since less than it would have already taken according to Justice Colombia could not be enrolled in the registry office of the Consulate of Spain for them to be foreign nationals (despite his nationality of EU countries).
Despite being a matter of private international law, which exceeded the powers of the autonomous community of Andalusia, we decided to contact the Department of Children and Family of the Ministry of Equality and Social Welfare, Government of Andalusia, and this with the aim of finding a possible way of resolving the problem. Since the Directorate-General reaffirmed the complexity of the case as it intermingled issues relating to private international law as regulated in the Hague Convention regarding international adoptions.
Thus, in the International Convention refers to the accreditation of the social and family circumstances of the prospective adoptive parents by the administration of their country of residence (in this case Spain), which had resulted in the dossier that they had started their adoption international in Seville, consistently getting the certificate of suitability for adoption by the Government of Andalusia.
Advanced file, they found that the child they would be allocated in Colombia, which would take under the law and to the judicial authorities of that country, still would not have Spanish nationality because they still lacked the Spanish nationality , Which would hinder its possible entry in the registry office Spanish, nor have entry visa to Spain's lower. To do the latter would be required to register the child in the Civil Registry of the country of which they were nationals, thereby complete the adoption process, which would have no obstacle to enter Spain as adoptive parents and child would be citizens of the European Union.
Since the Directorate General told us that Britain, unlike other European Union countries, does not have decentralized the management of its Civil Registry in its various consulates abroad, which requires applicants for international adoption of British nationality to a trip to London (in this city is the Central Registry Office in that country) to register the child and to acquire British citizenship. With regard to Ireland, from the Directorate General indicated that we lacked data on the subject as if Ireland had consular services in Colombia.
Since the Directorate General of Family and Children told us that the limitations on entry of children adopted abroad by foreign nationals of European Union countries, due to their own precautions the Hague Convention on illicit trafficking of children and girls, as long as the child or has not been officially registered in a registry office in the country of their nationality, such adoption would not take full effect until that time, the adoption would only be recognized by the law of the country provenance of the child.
One possible alternative that we suggested from the aforementioned Directorate General is concerned that the scheduled his trip so that the return along with the child to Spain did so after a stopover in London, there to solve all the formalities of the adoption of the child British brought to justice.
A question concerning the suitability for international adoption us was raised in the complaint 04/2440. The complaint was launched after receiving a letter along the following lines:
"... We are a married couple (36 and 40 years) already since even before we get married (we took 15 years of marriage) we began to raise the possibility of adopting one or more children and unable to have children by biological heart of a problem because it would be in danger at the time of delivery, including the baby.
So in the early 90s we began to inform us about how to take our son and we were forced to expand our home so that our future son had more space, all this was before taking the first step.
In 1998 we went to the first national meeting on adoption in which we were informed of the operation of this, applications, etc.. and so on. At the same time that invites us to open a file for International Adoption, due to lack of children in our country.
According to our intention to open two files, one national and one international, knowing that the dossier would be in a National lethargy for several years as we have explained as well and was therefore focus our attention on the dossier International.
We did a study of countries, agencies and so on. and so on. And we opted for the more serious option that we thought: ADECOP-ROMANIA. And after all the necessary processing here in Spain are entering the waiting list in Romania on January 5, 2000.
After six years of hopes and disappointments, Romania finally decided to quit international adoptions while excluding those who were already in the country on a waiting list.
Some eleven months before the final closure of Romania, our dossier left the National lethargy of those five years, and we were warned for a course and to make the report of Suitability, with a family we did it logical to adopt a child in Spain because they still hoped for our son Romanian. Now with the bad new call to the department of adoptions of Cadiz and tell us that to expand the number of children in the application will have to return to the famous fitness and ditto if we decide otherwise International, which in our view, we see exaggerated and that have just past 9 months of the study at the National and in our life there has been no change whatsoever.
We have never opposed any processing necessary for our adoption, which was outside. We have always wanted to participate and provide all kinds of requirements and we have always believed needed every one of the steps to follow in order to access the possibility of creating a family through adoption.
As far as we are writing to you if there is any way to speed up the process and be able to see fulfilled our dream of being parents ... "
After accepting the complaint procedure to ask the relevant report to the Provincial Delegation for Equality and Social Welfare of Cadiz, which justified its intervention in consideration of the dissimilarity of different records urged adoption by the stakeholders, in a case of national adoption respect of a certain age group, later expanding the number of potential adoptandos, and lastly referring to international adoption in accordance with the requirements of the country or countries in question.
Weighted the circumstances we conclude our statement on the record admitting as reasonable the arguments made by the provincial branch, without apreciáramos irregularities in the administrative decision in question.
>> Informe Anual 2004
9 ADOPCIÓN INTERNACIONAL
INICIO
Las solicitudes para la adopción internacional han aumentado considerablemente en los últimos años, no sólo en nuestra Comunidad Autónoma sino también en todo el territorio nacional. La razón está clara: en España existen muchas personas que quieren adoptar y pocos niños susceptibles de ser adoptados, por lo que hace necesario acudir a países, generalmente en vías de desarrollo, para encontrar niños en condiciones de ser adoptados. A la adopción se le pone el adjetivo de internacional cuando alguna de las partes intervinientes, adoptante o adoptado, no es nacional, pudiéndose presentar distintos supuestos. En este apartado nos vamos a referir al de la adopción de un menor extranjero por un adoptante español.
Al momento de redactar este informe disponemos de los datos cuantitativos facilitados por la Consejería para la Igualdad y Bienestar Social referidos al primer semestre de 2004. En dicho semestre las familias andaluzas adoptaron 448 menores extranjeros, cifra que supone un incremento de más del 60% respecto al mismo periodo del año anterior, debido al mayor número de niños procedentes de China y Rusia.
Durante dicho período se adoptaron en Andalucía 231 menores chinos y 147 rusos. El resto de los niños procede de Ucrania (14); Colombia (12); Bulgaria y Nepal (6 cada uno); Honduras (5); India y Perú (4 cada uno); Bolivia y Rumanía (3 cada uno); Chile, Congo, Haití y República Dominicana (2 cada uno), y Brasil, Etiopía, Kazajstán, México y Panamá (1 cada uno).
Por provincias, Sevilla es la que durante ese semestre registró más adopciones, con 122, seguida de Málaga (98), Cádiz (83), Jaén (29), Granada (42), Córdoba (43), Almería (14) y Huelva (17). Del total de ellas, 380 se tramitaron a través de organizaciones no gubernamentales reconocidas como Entidades Colaboradoras de Adopción internacional (ECAI).
Los trámites procedimentales para culminar una adopción internacional son complejos y por lo general adolecen de lentitud, al requerir el concurso tanto de las Administraciones competentes en nuestro país como en el país extranjero, existiendo convenios internacionales, bilaterales o multilaterales (fundamentalmente el conocido Convenio de la Haya) que pretenden garantizar los derechos de los menores afectados por estos procedimientos.
De entre las quejas recibidas en esta Institución referidas a adopción internacional destacamos la queja 04/1801 presentada por un matrimonio de nacionalidad británica e irlandesa, respectivamente, para exponernos los problemas burocráticos que se encontraban para culminar el proceso de adopción internacional que habían iniciado en Colombia.
En su escrito nos indicaban que la ECAI que les venía tramitando la adopción les había informado que con toda probabilidad tendrían problemas para obtener el visado de entrada a España junto con el menor, toda vez que el menor al que ya habrían adoptado conforme a la justicia colombiana no podría ser inscrito en el registro civil del Consulado de España por ser ellos nacionales extranjeros (a pesar de su nacionalidad de países de la Unión Europea).
A pesar de tratarse de un asunto de derecho internacional privado, que excedía las competencias de la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía, decidimos contactar con la Dirección General de Infancia y Familia de la Consejería de Igualdad y Bienestar Social de la Junta de Andalucía, y ello con el objetivo de encontrar una posible vía de solución al problema planteado. Desde dicha Dirección General nos ratificaron la complejidad del asunto ya que entremezclaba cuestiones relativas a derecho internacional privado con lo regulado en el Convenio de La Haya respecto de las adopciones internacionales.
Es así que en dicho Convenio Internacional se alude a la acreditación de las circunstancias sociales y familiares de los futuros adoptantes por parte de la Administración de su país de residencia (en este caso España) lo cual había propiciado el que hubieran iniciado su expediente de adopción internacional en Sevilla, obteniendo el consecuente certificado de idoneidad para la adopción por parte de la Junta de Andalucía.
Avanzado el expediente, se encontraron con que el menor que les iba a ser asignado en Colombia, al cual adoptarían conforme a la legislación y ante las autoridades judiciales de aquel país, no tendría aún la nacionalidad española puesto que ellos aún carecían de la nacionalidad española, lo cual obstaculizaría su posible inscripción en el Registro Civil Consular Español, como tampoco disponer de visado de entrada a España del menor. Para conseguir esto último sería preciso que inscribieran al menor en el Registro Civil del país del cual eran nacionales, quedando de este modo completo el proceso de adopción, con lo cual no tendrían ningún obstáculo para entrar en España ya que padres adoptivos y menor serían ciudadanos de la Unión Europea.
Desde la Dirección General nos informaron que Gran Bretaña, a diferencia de otros países de la Unión Europea, no tiene descentralizada la gestión de su Registro Civil en sus diferentes consulados en el extranjero, lo cual obliga a los solicitantes de adopción internacional de nacionalidad británica a hacer un viaje a Londres (en dicha ciudad se encuentra el Registro Civil Central de aquel país) para inscribir al menor y que adquiera la nacionalidad británica. En lo que respecta a Irlanda, desde la Dirección General nos indicaron que carecían de datos sobre el particular así como si Irlanda disponía de servicios consulares en Colombia.
Desde la Dirección General de Infancia y Familia nos informaron que las limitaciones de entrada de los menores adoptados en el extranjero por extranjeros, nacionales de países de la Unión Europea, obedecen a las propias cautelas del Convenio de la Haya sobre el tráfico ilícito de niños y niñas, toda vez que en tanto el o la menor no hubiera sido oficialmente inscrito/a en el Registro Civil del país del que son nacionales, dicha adopción no tendría plenos efectos -hasta ese momento la adopción sólo estaría reconocida por la justicia del país de procedencia del menor-.
Una de las posibles alternativas que nos sugirieron desde la aludida Dirección General es que los interesados programasen su viaje de forma tal que el regreso junto con el menor a España lo hicieran previa escala en Londres, para allí solventar todos los trámites de la adopción del menor ante la justicia Británica.
Una cuestión relativa a la idoneidad para la adopción internacional nos fue planteada en la queja 04/2440. Dicha queja se inició tras recibir un escrito del siguiente tenor:
"...Somos un matrimonio joven (36 y 40 años) que ya desde, incluso, antes de casarnos (llevamos 15 años de matrimonio) nos empezamos a plantear la posibilidad de adoptar uno o varios niños/as y al no poder tener hijos de forma biológica por un problema cardiaco ya que correría peligro a la hora del parto, incluyendo al bebé.
Así que a principios de los años 90 empezamos a informarnos sobre cómo acceder a adoptar a nuestra hijo e incluso nos vimos obligados a ampliar nuestra casa para que nuestro futuro hijo tuviera más espacio, todo ello fue antes de realizar el primer trámite.
En el año 1998 fuimos a la primera reunión sobre adopción Nacional en la cual se nos informa del funcionamiento de esta, solicitudes, etc. etc. A la vez que nos invita abrir un expediente de adopción Internacional, debido a la falta de niños en nuestro país.
De acuerdo a nuestra intención abrimos dos expedientes, uno Nacional y otro Internacional, sabiendo que el expediente Nacional quedaría en un letargo de varios años como nos habían explicado y como así fue por lo que centramos nuestra atención en el expediente Internacional.
Hicimos un estudio de países, agencias, etc. etc. Y nos decantamos por la opción que creímos más seria: ADECOP-RUMANIA. Y que después de toda la tramitación necesaria aquí en España entramos en lista de espera en Rumania el 5 de Enero de 2000.
Después de seis años de ilusiones y desilusiones, Rumania decide finalmente cerrar las adopciones internacionales y excluir a los que estábamos ya en aquel país en una lista de espera.
Unos once meses antes de este cierre definitivo de Rumania, nuestro expediente Nacional salió del letargo de esos cinco años y se nos avisó para un curso y para hacer el informe de Idoneidad, nosotros con un planteamiento familiar lógico hicimos ésta para adoptar un niño en España debido a que todavía esperábamos a nuestro hijo Rumano. Ahora con las malas nuevas llamamos al departamento de adopciones de Cádiz y nos dicen que para ampliar el número de hijos en la solicitud tendremos que volver a hacer la famosa idoneidad e ídem si nos decidimos por otro Internacional, cosa que a nuestro entender vemos exagerado ya que tan sólo han pasado 9 meses de dicho estudio en la Nacional y en nuestra vida no ha habido cambio alguno.
Nunca nos hemos opuesto a cualquier tramitación necesaria para nuestra adopción, fuera la que fuese. Siempre hemos querido participar y facilitar todo tipo de requerimientos y siempre hemos creído necesario todos y cada uno de los pasos a seguir para poder acceder la posibilidad de crear una familia por la vía de la adopción.
Por lo que nos dirigimos a usted por si hubiera alguna forma para acelerar el proceso y poder ver cumplida nuestra ilusión de ser padres ..."
Así que a principios de los años 90 empezamos a informarnos sobre cómo acceder a adoptar a nuestra hijo e incluso nos vimos obligados a ampliar nuestra casa para que nuestro futuro hijo tuviera más espacio, todo ello fue antes de realizar el primer trámite.
En el año 1998 fuimos a la primera reunión sobre adopción Nacional en la cual se nos informa del funcionamiento de esta, solicitudes, etc. etc. A la vez que nos invita abrir un expediente de adopción Internacional, debido a la falta de niños en nuestro país.
De acuerdo a nuestra intención abrimos dos expedientes, uno Nacional y otro Internacional, sabiendo que el expediente Nacional quedaría en un letargo de varios años como nos habían explicado y como así fue por lo que centramos nuestra atención en el expediente Internacional.
Hicimos un estudio de países, agencias, etc. etc. Y nos decantamos por la opción que creímos más seria: ADECOP-RUMANIA. Y que después de toda la tramitación necesaria aquí en España entramos en lista de espera en Rumania el 5 de Enero de 2000.
Después de seis años de ilusiones y desilusiones, Rumania decide finalmente cerrar las adopciones internacionales y excluir a los que estábamos ya en aquel país en una lista de espera.
Unos once meses antes de este cierre definitivo de Rumania, nuestro expediente Nacional salió del letargo de esos cinco años y se nos avisó para un curso y para hacer el informe de Idoneidad, nosotros con un planteamiento familiar lógico hicimos ésta para adoptar un niño en España debido a que todavía esperábamos a nuestro hijo Rumano. Ahora con las malas nuevas llamamos al departamento de adopciones de Cádiz y nos dicen que para ampliar el número de hijos en la solicitud tendremos que volver a hacer la famosa idoneidad e ídem si nos decidimos por otro Internacional, cosa que a nuestro entender vemos exagerado ya que tan sólo han pasado 9 meses de dicho estudio en la Nacional y en nuestra vida no ha habido cambio alguno.
Nunca nos hemos opuesto a cualquier tramitación necesaria para nuestra adopción, fuera la que fuese. Siempre hemos querido participar y facilitar todo tipo de requerimientos y siempre hemos creído necesario todos y cada uno de los pasos a seguir para poder acceder la posibilidad de crear una familia por la vía de la adopción.
Por lo que nos dirigimos a usted por si hubiera alguna forma para acelerar el proceso y poder ver cumplida nuestra ilusión de ser padres ..."
Tras admitir la queja a trámite solicitamos el correspondiente informe a la Delegación Provincial para la Igualdad y Bienestar Social de Cádiz, que justificaba su intervención en consideración a la disimilitud de los diferentes expedientes de adopción instados por los interesados, en un caso de adopción nacional respecto de determinado tramo de edad, posteriormente ampliando el número de posibles adoptandos, y por último referida a adopción internacional conforme a los requisitos del país o países en cuestión.
Ponderadas las circunstancias del caso concluimos nuestra intervención en el expediente admitiendo como razonables los argumentos esgrimidos por la Delegación Provincial, sin que apreciáramos irregularidades en la resolución administrativa en cuestión.
2004