Surrogacy Boom Risks Statelessness for Newborns, Experts Warn

Experts are raising concerns that the increasing use of surrogacy arrangements abroad is putting a growing number of babies at risk of becoming stateless. This trend highlights a complex legal and ethical challenge where children born through surrogacy may not automatically acquire citizenship in any country. The issue arises from differing national laws regarding parentage, nationality, and the legal recognition of surrogacy contracts. In some cases, intended parents may face difficulties in obtaining citizenship for their child, particularly if the surrogate mother's country does not recognize the intended parents' rights or if the intended parents' home country has restrictive citizenship laws. This situation can leave children in a legal limbo, without the rights and protections afforded by citizenship. The international legal framework is struggling to keep pace with the rise of global surrogacy, creating potential vulnerabilities for children born in these circumstances. Addressing this growing problem requires international cooperation and a review of existing nationality laws to ensure that children born via surrogacy are not left without a country.