Italy prohibits couples to get children abroad through surrogacy

Italy prohibits couples to get children abroad through surrogacy

Italy's parliament decided on Wednesday to make couples illegal, travel abroad to get a child through surrogacy - a concern of the party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Activists see this a targeted attack on same -sex couples.

Political agenda by Giorgia Meloni

Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has been pursuing a very conservative social agent that aims to promote traditional family values. This has increasingly made it more difficult to become legal parents.

New law against surrogacy abroad

The Italian Senate passed a law with 84 to 58 votes, which was proposed by Meloni's party, the brothers in Italy. The draft had already been approved by the lower house last year. The new law extends the ban on surrogacy, which was already in Italy in 2004, to couples traveling to countries in which this is legal, such as the USA or Canada. In prison for up to two years and fines of up to 1 million euros.

arguments against surrogacy

"Maternity is absolutely unique, it cannot be replaced and is the foundation of our civilization," said the senator of the brothers of Italy, Lavinia Mennuni, during the parliamentary debate. Meloni had previously referred to surrogacy as an "inhumane" practice that treats children and products in the supermarket, which corresponds to a position of the Catholic Church.

protests against the new law

On Tuesday, demonstrators gathered near the Senate and expressed their displeasure with the law. They claimed that the government was directed against the LGBTQ community and a shame of those who want to have children, despite the falling birth rate in Italy. "If someone gets a child, they should get a medal. Instead, you end up in prison if you have no children in a traditional way," said Franco Grillini, a long-time activist for LGBTQ rights in Italy.

statistics on the birth rate

Alessia Crocini, President of the Rainbow Families, said that 90 % of Italians who choose surrogacy are heterosexual couples, but mostly act in secret. The new ban would therefore only hit homosexual couples who cannot hide their situation. The advance against surrogacy takes place against the background of falling births, whereby the National Statistical Office IStat reported in March that the births fell to a record level in 2023 - the 15th year in a row.

criticism of the law

"This is a monstrous law. No country in the world has something like this," said Grillini with regard to the step of the government to deny Italian citizens the use of legally flawless practices in other countries.