Since the day they were delivered more than two years ago, twin toddlers Nikolas and Leonard Balaz have been stateless and stranded in India. Their parents are German nationals, but the woman to whom the babies were born is a 20-something Indian surrogate from Gujarat. The boys were refused German passports because the country does not recognize surrogacy as a legitimate means of parenthood. And India doesn't typically confer citizenship on surrogate-born children conceived by foreigners. Last week, Germany relented, issuing the Balazes travel visas, and the entire family is finally going home — though only after a long legal...

Opening a conversation about the intersection between global surrogacy and trafficking requires that, regardless of the alarming practices outlined in previous articles (on India and on Guatemala), we must acknowledge that there are no internationally-accepted standards for regulating surrogacy practices. Among nations of the Global South, only India has sought to codify practices in the form of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) [Regulation] Bill 2010, which is still in draft form. While this new law may work out some practicalities, realistically women in India will remain vulnerable to abuse....read more...

Eight European countries wanting to opt for surrogacy-assisted In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment will be directed by a few city-based IVF clinics to their respective consulates before starting the treatment, the doctors said.

"Our collective decision comes after the consul generals of Germany, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Spain notified more than ten IVF centres in Mumbai not to offer surrogacy treatment to nationals of their countries," the doctors said.

The consulates had made note that surrogacy contracts were illegal in their countries.

"This awareness is important for all of us who are practising and come in touch...

MUMBAI: Two representatives from the Norwegian embassy in Delhi are making enquiries about Andras Bells surrogacy procedure in a Mumbai clinic.

We provided all the relevant documents and two to three informed consent papers that she had signed, said medical director of Bandras Rotunda Clinic Dr Gautam Allahabadia. He added that the clinic had done nothing illegal or unethical....read more...