Orphans from Kazakhstan traded through American online networks may be returned to Kazakhstan

Raisa Sher, Chairwoman of the Education Ministry's Committee for Protection of Children, said that the children adopted from Kazakhstan who are among the victims of the American re-homing networks may be returned to Kazakhstan if the existence of the networks and their practices discovers thanks to an investigation by Reuters are officially confirmed by the United States authorities, Kazakhstan STV Channel reports. "We will insist on investigation of these case, of course, they are our children, they remain Kazakhstan citizens until they reach the adulthood. It is our duty to take action, we are not going to be silent about it until we return the kids back. The Hague Adoption Convention says that if a child's rights are infringed on then the country of origin has a right to receive all the information on the issue, and even can return the child back to the home country," Raisa Sher said. Article 21 clause 1с of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (also known as the Hague Adoption Convention) reads: "As a last resort, (the receiving State shall take the measures) to arrange the return of the child, if his or her interests so require." Earlier Tengrinews.kz reported that Reuters discovered a 'private re-homing' network trading and exchanging adopted children in online communities in the United States. Raisa Sher said that the U.S. State Department representative would arrive in Kazakhstan on September 23 to deal with adoption issues. "We have not received any official report on the cases so far. And it is hard to say how credible the information (about the re-homing network) is. But we are following the situation and we will ask the U.S. State Department representative for the information that they have," she said.