This House would support international adoption

International adoption is the adoption of foreign children and their subsequent immigration into their adopted parents' home nation. With the on-going media coverage of ill-treated children in Chinese and Romanian orphanages and the increasing numbers of infertile couples in the developed world, proponents of international adoption claim it appears to solve two problems at once. However, recently Romania has stopped all international adoptions amid claims of corruption and human trafficking. Similar stories have clouded adoptions from Guatemala. Despite these difficulties international adoptions by US citizens have tripled in the past 5 years and legislation has been passed to make it easier for these adopted children to obtain citizenship. The numbers of international adoptions now reach as many as 45,000 worldwide. Opponents argue however that some children complain of a feeling of cultural dislocation and reject claims such cases are exceptions to the general sentiment of delight with their new homes and dual identity. The long-term effects of such migrations are hard to predict but many opponents call for more efforts to be made to house children in their country of birth, with proper support for domestic orphanages and adoption schemes.