New ban forbids Americans from adopting Russian children

Courtesy of Mission to Unreached Peoples

On Friday Russian President Putin passed a law that bans Americans from adopting children in Russia. The bill, which will become active on January 1st, will be preventing 46 pending adoptions, according to Russia's child-rights commissioner and ban proponent, Pavel Astakhov.

It's called the Dima Yakovlev Law, after a Russian toddler who died of heat stroke when his American adoptive father left him in a car. Apparently this ban is supposed to reduce American influence in the country after the U.S. passed the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act (this holds Russian officials accountable if they are suspected of corruption and human rights violations), one that Putin and other officials have openly opposed.

Part of Putin's defense of the Dima Yakovlev Law is that 19 children have died under the care of their American parents, according to National Council for Adoption (NFCA) reports. While I do not justify the deaths of those children, I don't think it's right to use orphans as a political ploy.

Putin has also promised that once the law has been passed, there will be stronger measures to improve the care of orphans. However it's clear many Russians do not have faith in this plan, for 100,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the bill. 

Alexander D'jamoos, center, with his family, courtesy of Associated Press/Family photo

After the fall of the Soviet Union 20 years ago, the U.S. has seen the adoption of approximately 60,000 Russian children. Now that this new law has been passed, what's going to happen to all the orphans after they graduate, especially those with disabilities? 21 year-old Alexander D'jamoos (pictured above), who was adopted six years ago, said:

"I see where all my friends are going. They are sent to a nursing home for all their lives or they are just out on the street. I've seen it so many times and I see what is happening to my friends. They're shocked by the ban, but there is a strong nationalist movement in Russia and many people support it." 

I have the utmost respect for those who adopt, and this law is going to do more harm than good. To read D'jamoos' petition against it, click here. Please sign if you care.