US adoption agencies expressed deep concern Thursday after President Vladimir Putin backed legislation making it illegal for Russian children to be adopted by American citizens.
“It’s unfortunate that the Russian government is contemplating punishing children who would benefit from having safe and loving homes here in the United States because of unrelated (human rights) legislation here,” Richard Klarberg, president of the Council on Accreditation, which represents about 200 US adoption agencies, said.
Families in the process of adopting “are very concerned they won’t be able to bring their children home,” added Anya Rutherford, director of the Russia program at Christian World Adoption.
“They have been calling me, emailing me. They are very frightened, very scared,” said Rutherford, whose organization is currently helping 35 families waiting for a child in Russia to adopt.
The Duma, or lower house of the Russian parliament, gave second-reading approval Wednesday to legislation forbidding the adoption of Russian children by Americans. Putin signaled his support for it on Thursday.
The proposed ban is a response to a new US human rights law that enables the seizure of assets from Russian officials implicated in the 2009 death of a lawyer who blew the whistle on a $235 million police embezzlement scheme.
Those same officials would also be barred from entering the United States.
Some 45,112 Russian children have been adopted by American families since 1999, including 962 last year. China remains the biggest source of children adopted from abroad.
US State Department Victoria Nuland declined to comment Thursday, although she noted she was aware of talk in the Russian media of possible amendments to the law that Putin endorsed on Thursday.
She added that the United States remains committed to the terms of a bilateral treaty on adoptions and would keep working directly with Russian authorities who handle adoption cases.
US adoption groups voice concern over Russian ban
