Blog: Trafficking in Children (US Embassy)

Trafficking in Children

The most emotionally challenging part of my job will be the baby selling part.  It's a pretty complicated situation but to summarize, there is huge demand in the U.S. for Vietnamese orphans.  Adoption agencies in the U.S. are willing to pay $US10K for each available orphan in Vietnam.  The problem is, often times, it's not clear whether a baby is truly an orphan or not.
A brief (true) story to illustrate:  Grandma in Province A is entrusted with grandson of her daughter.  The family is poor so the daughter and her husband must work and can't afford to raise the child so they give the child to Granny.  Grandma, for whatever reason, decides she can't or doesn't want to take care of the child anymore and locates a guard who works at an orphanage in Province B.  Grandma hands over the child for an alleged US$300 which is equlivalent to one year's salary in the country side.  Daughter and her husband come home to find child gone, asks Granny where did Baby go, Granny fesses up.  Daughter and husband haul ass to Province B and find out the orphanage guard has already prepared the child for adoption to the U.S.  Keep in mind the "going rate" is US$10K for each "available" orphan; the guard is likely looking to make a US$9K profit.  Daughter and husband blow a gasket, called the police in Province A who haul ass to Province B and arrest the guard; Baby never gets adopted.  By the way, they also arrested Granny.  The guard is thrown in jail but it's discovered he's currently facilitating 26 other babies to the U.S.!  He was thrown in jail in April, but in May his wife who also works at the orphanage is picking-up right where he left off.  Since May, she's discovered another six orphans which makes it 32 babies between the two of them.  Current status of all these children is pending and I have yet to get my head around the issue.  Will let you all know more as I learn more.
My job?  To investigate and collect as much evidence as I can to shed light on what exactly is going on and provide any ammunition to reject adoptions that are deemed illegal.
So that's my currenty work situation in a nutshell.  Again, more later as I get settled into my new digs.