Australians seeking surrogacy denied visa

Australian couples seeking surrogate mothers in India are being denied entry to the country following reports that a surrogate twin was left there by an Australian couple wanting just one child.

All new Indian visa applications from prospective Australian parents have been put on hold, while couples with surrogates who are already pregnant in India are enduring long delays in having their visas approved.

"For those who have pregnant surrogates, we have seen a lot of anxiety and a lot of panic around getting a visa in time for the birth," Sam Everingham from the support group Surrogacy Australia told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The Indian consulate in Sydney said in a statement to surrogacy advocates that the cause of the current visa delays is concern for the welfare of surrogate children born on behalf of Australian parents.

The statement follows reports that an Australian couple left one of their twins behind in 2012 - with the apparent knowledge of Australian diplomats in India.

The couple said they could only afford one child and, it is believed, made the choice of which child to keep based on gender.

Commercial surrogacy in all Australian states and territories remains illegal, as does publicly advertising for an altruistic surrogate, forcing many Australian couples to seek surrogate mothers in countries such as India and Thailand.

While India has no laws covering surrogacy, the guidelines that the industry works under are considered to be of a high standard. However, the absence of a legal framework allows surrogacy clinics and other parties involved to operate as they wish with little fear of prosecution.

Surrogacy Australia fears couples who were planning to seek surrogate mothers in India will now turn to other countries with less rigorous guidelines, a move that could put all parties at risk.

"There is a lot less screening of parents before they engage, often no screening at all," Everingham said. "There is no guarantee that a child will be able to exit that country."

In August, it was revealed that an infant boy with Down syndrome was left with his Thai surrogate mother while his healthy twin sister was taken back to Australia with their biological parents.

The case caused Thailand to temporarily halt all exit visas for surrogate children and move to tighten the laws surrounding the practice.

(China Daily 11/01/2014 page10)