Norway’s government minister in charge of family and children’s issues wants to prosecute Norwegians who have children with the help of surrogate mothers abroad. That’s because surrogacy remains illegal in Norway.
Kjersti Toppe of the Center Party called for prosecution after the latest reports of how Norwegians, often single or gay men, have used surrogate mothers in the US, India and other countries to bear their children. In one famous case a decade ago, Crown Princess Mette-Marit even helped two gay friends care for their surrogate baby born in India because they’d had trouble getting visas to bring the child home. In another, the chief executive of the Hurtigruten shipping and cruise line spoke openly in the media about how he and his partner had finally been able to travel to the US to bring their surrogate baby home to Norway.
Toppe stresses that surrogacy is illegal in Norway, and that engaging in it abroad undermines Norwegian law. She also complains that it degrades the seriousness of the law and that “it’s important to make clear that this is forbidden.” Others think the Norwegian law against surrogacy needs to be changed.
newsinenglish.no staff
