Morocco sees the change in the context of foreigners who call themselves Muslims, simply staying in a local hotel, getting custody of the child and leaving the country. Essentially, Morocco seeks to take responsibility for adoptions and ensures that children grow up in good Muslim families. The U.S. side of the process follows a traditional home-study approval course and U.S. Immigration Notice of Approval (I-600A). The next phase of adoption takes place in Morocco with the filing of the file, legal representation and eventual reconciliation with a Moroccan child for adoption. The children return from Morocco under a guardianship agreement with their adoptive parents after going through the kafala court process abroad. The I-600 petition for a child visa can be filed at the U.S. Embassy in Morocco, usually with fast processing times. After obtaining custody in Morocco, the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services must determine whether the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S.
immigration law. You must file a Form I-600, Petition to classify an orphan as an immediate relative. A flowering family adoption can act as the primary provider of adoptions in Morocco. Morocco`s adoptive families must be Muslim. The program is aimed at families who have a high probability of success and prioritization abroad due to their current or previous connection to Morocco. Several U.S. adoption agencies confirmed to PBS NewsHour that they no longer risked kafalas in Morocco. The Department of Justice did not accept our requests for interviews. Meanwhile, foreigners who have already entered the adoption process are eagerly waiting to see if their applications will become null and void under the new laws.
More than 100 families are affected, including American, French and Spanish citizens as well as Moroccans living in other European countries. These couples had children before the law was changed, but are still awaiting final guardianship decisions. Post-placement requirements vary depending on agency policies, U.S. state requirements, and possibly overseas requirements. Typically, 2-3 home visits and post-placement reports are required to complete an adoption in the United States. Children who are transferred for adoption from Morocco are usually a few months or older. The vast majority of babies and toddlers in Moroccan orphanages are born to single women who are unable to care for their babies due to cultural and social norms in Morocco. Infants are usually given to maternity wards for adoption immediately after birth. From a security perspective, fortunately, most children are immediately placed in orphanages instead of living on the streets, abandoned or not. The waiting time for the issuance of kafala can be between 7 and 10 days. Once our partner is informed that kafala can be picked up, this is considered the legal enforcement of the provision granting custody and guardianship of the orphanage.
This will also allow you to take pictures of your child and consult independent doctors for evaluation. These documents give you permission to take the child out of Morocco for immigration and adoption in the United States. With the recent focus on staying in the country for parents who wish to adopt, the U.S. Department of State is asking families who have already participated in the Moroccan adoption process to contact the Bureau of Children`s Affairs. The department is desperately trying to understand how many Americans are affected by this unfortunate turn of events. Further information on legislative developments is regularly updated and published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Married couples and single women can adopt in Morocco. The country does not allow same-sex marriages, partners or single men to adopt children from Morocco. There is no specific age limit for intended parents, but a judge has discretion and will determine the suitability of each prospective adoptive parent in relation to the age of the child. Future parents must work and practice Sunni Muslims.
We expect all candidates to take this very seriously and to respect legal codes and culture. *There is no guarantee as to the timing of each necessary step. Please remain flexible if there is a delay. Keep in mind that each city is unique and judicial strikes are common in Morocco. This can make Moroccan adoption unpredictable. This information is intended to be used for general purposes and should not be kept rigid in your expectations.