Teengirl Adopted Legally Granted Visa to Co-reside with Alleged Human Smugglers

In a recent development, a 17-year-old girl who was adopted from overseas has been at the centre of a police investigation regarding potential people-trafficking. The adoptive family was under scrutiny, but were not found guilty of the charges.

According to reports, the organisation that gave consent for the adoption process remains unnamed in the available search results. However, it is common for such consent to be given by the youth welfare office or juvenile authority responsible for child protection and welfare in the relevant jurisdiction.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Policy unit briefed the Minister of Immigration about the risks and issues in the international adoption space, including child welfare, trafficking risks, and risks to the immigration system. The briefing also explored options for addressing these challenges, such as changes to the Adoption Act 1955.

The girl's case was flagged as high-risk by Immigration New Zealand (INZ). During the assessment of the residence application, INZ interviewed the applicant, birth parents, and adoptive parents.

The police interview raised concerns that the adoptive family was controlling all aspects of the children's lives, including their finances. A community social worker reported that earnings of internationally adopted children were taken by their families and they were given back a sum of money, typically $20 a week.

The girl's dependent-child residence visa was approved, but the case has brought attention to the lack of pre-screening of adoptive families in adoptions that take place in countries that have not signed the Hague Convention. Under current legislation, such adoptions do not require pre-screening of adoptive families.

This case is not an isolated incident. Figures obtained by charity Tearfund showed that most adoptions where pre-screening does not take place in New Zealand were from Samoa, but also included countries such as Kiribati and Congo. More than 2300 children were granted citizenship over five years following overseas adoptions "from high-risk countries where proper safeguarding didn't take place".

It is worth noting that Oranga Tamariki was not mentioned in INZ's January briefings, and only one person who adopted children or teenagers overseas has so far faced prosecution for trafficking.

In response to these concerns, the government announced last month that it would tighten trafficking and people-smuggling laws. The visa application was highlighted in reports to INZ bosses and ministers last December.

Despite these concerns, it is important to note that most adoptions that occur via family or customary adoption or through Hague Convention protocols present no child welfare issues. The interviewees stated that the girl will be expected to give her earnings to the adoptive family when she starts working in New Zealand.

This case serves as a reminder of the need for careful scrutiny and safeguards in the international adoption process to ensure the welfare and safety of the children involved.