Immigration calls for bilateral agreement between Nigeria, UK on child adoption

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says there is need for a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and Britain to address concerns over the British adoption law which is adversely affecting some Nigerians.

The NIS made the suggestion while responding to questions from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) following concerns expressed by some Nigerians over the stringent adoption laws of the United Kingdom (UK), said to be adversely affecting Nigerians residing in the UK.

Mr Kenneth Udo, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCI) and Public Relations Officer (SPRO) of NIS, Abuja, spoke on behalf of the Service on Thursday in Abuja.

Udo said it would be more just if UK adoption cases were reviewed individually rather than applying a blanket rule to all Nigerian seeking to bring in adopted children into UK.

“If the parents have followed all Nigerian adoption laws, a blanket policy by the UK preventing them from bringing their adopted child into the country could seem unfair.

“However, the UK’s reasoning likely stems from concerns about safeguarding the child’s welfare, ensuring proper immigration processes, and preventing exploitation.

“It would be more just if such cases were reviewed individually rather than applying a blanket rule to all Nigerian adoptions”, he said.

NAN gathered that about 10 years ago, the UK introduced a law stipulating that couples who want to adopt a child from Nigeria and some other listed countries must strictly follow.

A major provision of the law is that prospective couples for adoption must sponsor the trips of the officials of UK agency in charge of child adoption to observe the process from start to finish.

A concerned couple had lamented to NAN that the situation has caused harrowing experience to most of the affected couples, as some have been forced to relocate from UK or meant to be visiting Nigeria yearly to see their children.

Udo also used the medium to explain the reason why immigration officials demanded consent letters from either of the parents traveling with children abroad.

“When a parent travels alone with their children, immigration authorities require a consent letter from the other parent or legal guardian to prevent issues such as child abduction, trafficking, smuggling or custody disputes.

`This letter ensures that the child is not taken out of the country without the knowledge or consent of the other parent or legal guardian.

“In cases of separated or divorced parents, one parent may not have the legal authority to travel with the child, and the consent letter helps to avoid international custody disputes,” he said.

Udo added that many countries, including the UK, “also require parental consent letters for minors travelling with one parent.

“The consent letter demanded by the Nigeria Immigration Service at Nigerian international airports is part of global child protection measures.”

He said that the absent parent must typically sign the consent letter which needs to be notarised, and might include information such as travel dates, destinations and a copy of the consenting parent’s identity.

Udo added that UK’s policy on adoptions from Nigeria “is specific to inter-country adoptions and it focuses on concerns about documentation and the risk of child trafficking in the adoption process.

“These are separate issues, though both involve the safety and legal protection of a child and it is why NIS is calling for bilateral agreement.”