Ukraine is on the brink of war. The world is on tenterhooks, Europe could be facing a conflict at home, those who can leave the country but there are also those who do not want to.
Like Natalia, 29 years old, surrogate mother who called his lawyer the other day to find out if he could be forced by the 'intended parents', the commissioners of the child she is carrying, to go abroad.. Natalia, the name is fictional, she has a husband and children and would not want to be separated from them for any reason. and is convinced that nothing will happen. But intentional parents are terrified and they want her to move to Georgia until she gives birth. On the other hand, they have paid handsomely to have this child and now they don't want to take any risks. When people talk about the effects of the war they forget that it is Ukraine is also the capital of surrogacy in Europe and that this business, among many others, will be endangered by a Russian invasion.
In recent days, surrogacy agencies in the country have received many cancellations by those couples who had not yet started the process. Those who already have a pregnant surrogate demand guarantees. We all remember when in May 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the surrogacy agency Biotexcom released the video of the improvised nursery in Kiev's Venezia hotel where dozens of newborns waited for their intended parents who were locked down. (see hereand the shocking video here). Everyone was outraged then. The same could happen today.
The problem was raised by the British Sunday TimesIn the surrogacy sector, the crisis has also highlighted the profound differences and inequalities between poor Ukrainian women who bear children - and are usually paid between 12,000 and 18,000 euros - and wealthy biological parents abroad".
Sergeiy Antonov, a Ukrainian lawyer, told the Sunday paper that he had been contacted by at least two couples to find out if they could force the pregnant woman to go abroad: Surrogate mothers," she explained, "have their own children and cannot leave them and move to another country. The contracts they signed, however, may provide for this. At least in the future. Surrogacy agencies are moving in this direction.
It is estimated -but underestimated- that at least two thousand children are born in Ukraine every year on commission. Buyers are attracted by the relatively low prices and the laws that allow them to become the father and mother of the newborn child from the moment of conception.
Recently the European Parliament, which in a previous resolution had strongly condemned surrogacy, has toned down its positions limiting its "no" to commercial practice. In reality, it is well known that surrogacy is - with very few exceptions - a purely commercial practice, and that where the so-called solidarity gpa has been allowed, the effect has been to pave the way for business.
Elena Bandiera
