Egyptian Illegal Adoptions and Wikileaks Cables
Illegal adoptions in Egypt came to light in September 2009 when 11 were convicted “including two US citizens, of forgery and human trafficking yesterday for their involvement in a high-profile illegal adoption case. Miram Ragab, Gamil Gadala and Ashraf Hassan Mustafa were sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh67,000) for helping three American couples illegally adopt Egyptian infants.
Two of the couples were given the same fine as well as two years in prison for forging identity documents for the children in an attempt to take them back to the United States. One of the three couples was convicted in absentia because they have already returned to the United States. Except for them, all those convicted have been held in detention since their arrest late last year and will be eligible for a reduction in their sentencing based on time-served.”
Eleven Convicted in Adopted Case
[The National 9/18/09 by Matt Bradley]
The specifics of the 3 American couples’ actions were further described. ” It said the couple had agreed with an orphanage worker “to buy two newborn infants, a girl and a boy, in exchange for 26,000 pounds.” The family’s lawyer said the couple wanted to adopt the children and did not knowingly break the law.
The second couple was accused of obtaining a forged birth certificate for a baby boy to take him to the United States but was not accused of buying the child, the indictment said.
The couple tried in absentia was accused of forgery and paying 10,000 pounds for a baby girl. All the children involved have been returned to Egyptian orphanages.
In addition to the couples, three other defendants including an orphanage worker and a doctor were sentenced to five years in jail while two other Egyptians received jail terms of two years.
Rights activists say trafficking in infants and young children takes place in the most populous Arab country, and infants in orphanages and babies of street girls are at highest risk of being trafficked, often to infertile couples.”
The children were all returned to orphanages in Egypt.
US Egyptian Adoption
[Reuters 9/17/09 by Cynthia Johnston]
Kafala
Adoption as it is in Western society is not available in Muslim countries. This makes immigration to the US even more complicated as guardianships are involved. Only 2 legal adoptions occurred to the US from Egypt in FY2010.
“Egyptian family law…forbids adoption among Muslims and makes it very difficult for Christians to adopt. Sharia, or Islamic law, expressly forbids conventional adoption as it is known in western societies. Since Article 2 of the Egyptian constitution states that “the principles of the Islamic Sharia are the principle source of Egyptian legislation”, the question of legalising adoption does not even figure in Egypt’s political discourse. Instead, Muslims are allowed to sponsor children through a system called kafala – a sort of foster sponsorship that precludes naming the child after his or her adopted parents”
US Egyptian Adoption
[Reuters 9/17/09 by Cynthia Johnston]
Wikileaks
Wikileaks has released 2 cables in the past week that point to these cases and more. The first cable leak, Reference 09CAIRO1767, was given to the UK Newspaper, The Telegraph. It is from the US Embassy on September 13, 2009, just a few days before the above articles were published.
Excerpts from Section 5, 6 and 13 reveal that baby trafficking and adoption were intermingled and that doctors were involved.
“ 5…The FPU has been investigating a baby trafficking network reported in refs (B) through (F). Stretching back at least 20 years, the ACS had refused CRBAs and passports to couples who claimed they were the biological parents, but were in fact attempting to circumvent adoption law. The FPU has also found that baby traffickers had successfully applied for nonimmigrant visas posing as fake parents to babies they were ultimately taking to the United States to be CAIRO 00001766 002 OF 003 sold. The FPU is now investigating the possibility that baby traffickers have used the DV lottery as a means to get newborns to the United States.
6.ADOPTION FRAUD: Formal adoption is nearly impossible in Egypt. In addition, gaining legal custody of an abandoned child in a State-run orphanage is impossible for non-Muslim couples and couples where neither parent has any family links to Egypt.”
“13.AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN: As a result of the FPU CAIRO 00001766
003 OF 003 investigation of the baby trafficking ring reported in refs (B) through (F), post has found that it is extremely easy for a couple to have a genuine Egyptian birth certificate issued based only on a handwritten note from a doctor. In addition, with the birth certificate a valid Egyptian passport can be issued. Finally, the Health Offices that issue the birth certificates do not keep the letters of the doctors.”
[The Telegraph 2/15/11]
The Second memo, Reference 10CAIRO344, was released on February 16, 2011 from the US Embassy is published below and can be found at
[Wikileaks Cable Viewer 2/16/11]
Coptic Christian priests, nuns and doctors were implicated.
“SUBJECT: ILLEGAL ADOPTIONS IN EGYPT…
Summary: For the past 16 months, the Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) has been investigating cases of illegal adoptions in Egypt (see ref). Coptic priests, nuns and doctors remain key players in the illegal adoptions. Cases of illegal adoptions continue with the most recent announcement by Egyptian prosecutors on February 16 of the trial of an American couple and six Egyptians in Alexandria. In 2009, an Egyptian court in Cairo sentenced eleven individuals, including four Americans and a Coptic nun to two to five years in prison for baby trafficking.”
“Rogue” Priests
The FPU has confirmed 31 cases where children have been illegally adopted in Egypt and either taken to the United States or raised in Egypt. The earliest confirmed case by the FPU is from 1989, although one Coptic priest admitted the practice has been going on since 1976. This particular priest also provided other insights during an interview with the Fraud Prevention Manager (FPM) on February 11, 2010. He stated that the majority of the priests involved in illegal adoptions are very charismatic, have numerous followers and are consumed with their position of power as leaders of the Coptic community. According to this priest, the “big” personalities of these individuals have prompted them to engage in activities not condoned by many others in the Coptic Church. He mentioned that the Church is more than capable of raising and educating unwanted Coptic children. He added that in Alexandria, literally hundreds of babies are given to childless families and only a few have been taken out of Egypt.
Unscrupulous Doctors
The cases of illegal adoptions generally involve doctors falsely attesting to the delivery of the newborn for the alleged biological parents. The letter from the doctor is used to acquire a genuine Egyptian birth certificate and sometimes a passport. The FPU confirmed that in many instances the doctors receive payment in return for their false statements and/or procurement of newborns.
The FPU linked one doctor to cases as far back as 1995 and as recent as 2008. The doctor’s fees ranged from USD 100 for a newborn to USD 5000 for personal delivery of a newborn to the United States (see 09 Cairo 207 and previous). FPU cooperation with Egyptian State Security Investigative Services (SSIS) led to the arrest of this doctor in May 2009.
Americans to Stand Trial Again
On February 16, Egyptian prosecutors charged two Americans and six Egyptians with forgery, illegal adoption and baby trafficking. Another American in the United States was also identified and charged in absentia. Egypt’s Prosecutor General identified the Egyptians as two priests, two doctors, a civil servant and an engineer. All, but two of these individuals are currently fugitives. In September of 2009, an Egyptian court sentenced four Americans and seven Egyptians to two to five years in prison for baby trafficking and forgery.”
Canada
Canada has had suspicious cases as well. “Other embassies were briefed and “afterwards, the Canadian Embassy undertook a comprehensive review of almost 300 cases, identifying about a dozen that were suspect and subsequently referring those to SSIS [Egyptian State Security Investigative Services],” the cable said.
In July, 2009, the fraud prevention unit of the U.S. embassy met with a “visiting team from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who arrived in Cairo specifically to begin an investigation of the baby smuggling network with regards to Canada,” said another cable from September, 2009.
“Further close cooperation with the RCMP will be important in identifying cases that may have used Canada as a means to enter the United States.”
Wikileaks Brings to Light Suspected Baby Trafficking from Egypt to Canada
[The Globe and Mail 2/18/11 by Tu Thanh Ha]
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. But we need to find right solutions to stops this illegal adoptions.
Visa Lottery
Samuel, Thank you for sharing your idea about the Visa Lottery. I do agree that the way visas are doled out is one facet of this issue in addition to Egypt's child welfare set-up and the religious issues mixed with corrupt baby trafficking operations. I think the solution will have to be addressed on several levels, though and not just with visa control.