2024-06-182023/24:SoU17 · p.12SoUHealth & social services
Adoption
Support for adoptees and oversight of international adoptions
What's at stake: The outcome affects adoptees and their families, who may need support in origin searches and access to their personal records, as well as confidence that international adoptions take place in countries with reliable regulation.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should take new initiatives on support for adoptees, storage of adoption records and oversight of international adoptions, or whether the ongoing inquiry and agency mandates are sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee refers to the ongoing inquiry on adoption and to the agency's continuing mandate to provide individual support in origin searches, adoption-specific counselling, and its role as national contact point for irregularities in international adoptions, and considers that parliament need not take any further initiative.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 21 (MP)
The state should take over storage of adoptees' personal files from private actors and investigate how everyone concerned can gain access to a DNA test, ensure that support for adoptees and adoptive parents can continue as long as needed, and strengthen the agency's role in overseeing international adoptions so that adoptions do not take place in countries without reliable regulation.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 21 by MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/93/13 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2023/24:104 by Nadja Awad et al. (V) demands 1-4, 2023/24:1317 by Malin Larsson and Peter Hedberg (both S) demands 1 and 2, 2023/24:1880 by Ulrika Westerlund et al. (MP) demands 2-5, 2023/24:2481 by Martina Johansson et al. (C) demand 16 and 2023/24:2617 by Fredrik Lundh Sammeli et al. (S) demand 128.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:104 av Nadja Awad m.fl. (V) yrkandena 1-4, 2023/24:1317 av Malin Larsson och Peter Hedberg (båda S) yrkandena 1 och 2, 2023/24:1880 av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 2-5, 2023/24:2481 av Martina Johansson m.fl. (C) yrkande 16 och 2023/24:2617 av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S) yrkande 128.
Riksdag decision: Parliament rejected approximately 90 proposals in motions on social services' work from the general motion period of 2023. The motions address, for example, the work of social services, subsistence support and other support measures, homelessness, support for relatives and adoption. Parliament refers to, among other things, that work is already underway in the areas the motions address.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to increase resources for social services and build better trust between people in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and authorities. (MP) — Reservation 21
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan does not address adoption directly, but it does not want to see private actors in welfare's core operations and promises that support will be available when needed.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address adoption directly, but it does not want to see private actors in welfare's core operations and promises that support will be available when needed. That the state takes over the keeping of personal records from private actors, secures long-term support and tightens supervision follows from that, as does the plan's demands for stronger rights for children and a family law based on how people actually live.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte adoption direkt, men den vill inte se privata aktörer i välfärdens kärnverksamheter och lovar att stöd ska finnas att få när det behövs. Att staten tar över förvaringen av personakter från privata aktörer, säkrar långvarigt stöd och skärper tillsynen följer av det, liksom av planens krav på starkare rättigheter för barn och en familjerätt som utgår från människors verkliga liv.
- no profit actors in welfaredecisive»se några aktörer som är där för att göra vinster i välfärden.« (party programme ↗)“see any actors that are there to make profits in welfare.”
- stronger rights for children»Utvecklingen mot starkare rättigheter för barn är en av de progressiva« (party programme ↗)“The development toward stronger rights for children is one of the progressive”
- support as long as it is needed»Alla ska känna sig trygga i att det finns stöd att få när vi behöver det.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall feel secure that there is support available when we need it.”
- modern family law»från hur människor faktiskt lever, med en modern familjerätt.« (party programme ↗)“from how people actually live, with a modern family law.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto requires that the public access principle shall apply also to private healthcare and care and wants to take back democratic control over welfare, which speaks in favour of the state taking over custody of adoptees' personal records from private actors.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires that the public access principle shall apply also to private healthcare and care and wants to take back democratic control over welfare, which speaks in favour of the state taking over custody of adoptees' personal records from private actors. Enhanced supervision of international adoptions follows from the commitment to increase supervision and from children's best interests being considered. The plan does not specifically address adoption, so the position is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver att offentlighetsprincipen ska gälla även privat vård och omsorg och vill ta tillbaka den demokratiska kontrollen över välfärden, vilket talar för att staten övertar förvaringen av adopterades personakter från privata aktörer. Skärpt tillsyn av internationella adoptioner följer av åtagandet att växla upp tillsynen och av att barnens bästa ska beaktas. Planen behandlar inte adoption särskilt, varför ställningstagandet härleds.
- public access in private activitiesdecisive»Offentlighetsprincipen ska gälla även privat vård och omsorg.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The public access principle shall apply also to private healthcare and care.”
- democratic control over welfare»Det är dags att ta tillbaka den demokratiska kontrollen över välfärden och att stoppa sönderprivatiseringen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is time to take back democratic control over welfare and to stop the dismantling of public provision.”
- enhanced supervision»Tillsynen av sjukvården ska växlas upp för att garantera kvaliteten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Supervision of healthcare shall be increased to guarantee quality.”
- best interests of the child in all decisions»Alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt i enlighet med FN:s barnkonvention.« (party programme ↗)“All children shall have the right to a safe upbringing in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan does not address adoption. Nearest related principles are that the Convention on the Rights of the Child shall become Swedish law with child…
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address adoption. Nearest related principles are that the Convention on the Rights of the Child shall become Swedish law with child impact analysis of political decisions and that all publicly funded activities shall be subject to oversight by an authority that ultimately can stop what does not meet the standard. State responsibility for personal files and strengthened supervision of international adoptions follow from these principles, but the conclusion rests on derivation.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte adoption. Närmast liggande principer är att barnkonventionen ska bli svensk lag med barnkonsekvensanalys av politiska beslut och att all offentligt finansierad verksamhet ska stå under tillsyn av en myndighet som ytterst kan stoppa det som inte håller måttet. Statligt ansvar för personakterna och stärkt tillsyn av internationella adoptioner följer av dessa principer, men slutsatsen vilar på härledning.
- child's best interests in decisionsdecisive»FN:s barnkonvention ska bli svensk lag och politiska beslut bör föregås av en barnkonsekvensanalys.« (party programme ↗)“The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child shall become Swedish law and political decisions should be preceded by a child impact analysis.”
- strong public oversight»All verksamhet ska vara underställd tillsyn av en offentlig myndighet som ytterst ska kunna stoppa verksamhet som inte håller måttet.« (party programme ↗)“All activities shall be subject to oversight by a public authority that ultimately shall be able to stop activities that do not meet the standard.”
- support for all family forms»anpassa familjepolitiken så att den blir könsneutral och stärka rättigheterna för stjärnfamiljer, det vill säga alla olika typer av familjer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“adapt family policy so that it becomes gender-neutral and strengthen the rights of star families, that is all different types of families.”
The plan does not address adoption. The closest principles are that society's actors shall adopt the individual's perspective with children's rights…
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address adoption. The closest principles are that society's actors shall adopt the individual's perspective with children's rights foremost, that every child's right to be seen for who they are shall be protected, and that everyone living in Sweden shall be able to have their matter examined. State custody of personal records, access to DNA testing and stricter supervision of international adoptions lie in line with these principles, but the plan gives no direct support.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte adoption. Närmast liggande principer är att samhällets aktörer ska inta individens perspektiv med barnens rättigheter främst, att varje barns rätt att bli sedd för den man är ska värnas, och att alla som bor i Sverige ska kunna få sin sak prövad. Statligt förvar av personakter, tillgång till DNA-test och skärpt tillsyn av internationella adoptioner ligger i linje med dessa principer, men planen ger inget direkt stöd.
- child rights perspectivedecisive»Samhällets aktörer ska inta individens perspektiv. Av största betydelse är då barnens rättigheter och perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Society's actors shall adopt the individual's perspective. Of paramount importance is then children's rights and perspective.”
- child's right to their origin»Särskilt viktigt är att värna varje barns rätt att bli respekterad och att bli sedd för den man är.« (party programme ↗)“Of particular importance is to protect every child's right to be respected and to be seen for who they are.”
- right to have one's matter examined»Alla som bor i Sverige ska kunna få sin sak prövad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Everyone living in Sweden shall be able to have their matter examined.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan requires that placed children's freedoms and rights are clearly stated in the law and that they have the right to get information, and it builds child policy on the UN Child Convention as Swedish law.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that placed children's freedoms and rights are clearly stated in the law and that they have the right to get information, and it builds child policy on the UN Child Convention as Swedish law. State custody of personal files, access to DNA testing and tightened oversight of international adoptions serve the same right to know one's origins. The plan also wants to increase adoption opportunities, which presupposes a reliable regulatory framework.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att placerade barns fri- och rättigheter är tydligt angivna i lagen och att de har rätt att få information, och den bygger barnpolitiken på barnkonventionen som svensk lag. Statlig förvaring av personakter, tillgång till DNA-test och skärpt tillsyn av internationella adoptioner tjänar samma rätt att få veta sitt ursprung. Planen vill dessutom öka adoptionsmöjligheterna, vilket förutsätter ett tillförlitligt regelverk.
- placed children's rights in lawdecisive»Placerade barns fri- och rättigheter ska vara tydligt« (party programme ↗)“Placed children's freedoms and rights shall be clearly”
- the child convention as law»Genom att FN:s barnkonvention införlivats i svensk lag tydliggörs« (party programme ↗)“By incorporating the UN Child Convention into Swedish law, it becomes clear that”
- individual's rights against authorities»Den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sina rättigheter gentemot myndigheterna måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's opportunities to assert their rights against the authorities must increase.”
- expanded adoption opportunities»till adoption av barn som väntas tillbringa hela uppväxten i familjehem bör öka.« (party programme ↗)“to adoption of children who are expected to spend their entire childhood in foster care should increase.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme establishes that every child has the right to know their origins and that the child's perspective shall be the starting point in adoption.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that every child has the right to know their origins and that the child's perspective shall be the starting point in adoption. Government custody of personal records, DNA testing and strengthened oversight of international adoptions are means for that right to actually be exercised and for irregularities to be prevented. Since adoption should also be facilitated by public measures, continued support for adoptees and adoptive parents makes sense. The plan therefore supports the requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Principprogrammet slår fast att varje barn har rätt till kännedom om sitt ursprung och att barnperspektivet ska vara utgångspunkt vid adoption. Statlig förvaring av personakter, DNA-test och stärkt tillsyn av internationella adoptioner är medel för att den rätten faktiskt ska kunna utövas och för att oegentligheter ska förhindras. Att adoption samtidigt bör underlättas med offentliga åtgärder talar för fortsatt stöd till adopterade och adoptivföräldrar. Planen stöder därför kravet.
- the child's right to their originsdecisive»Varje barn har rätt till kännedom om sitt ursprung« (party programme ↗)“Every child has the right to know their origins”
- child perspective in adoption»Utgångspunkten vid adoption är att sätta barnperspektivet i främsta rummet.« (party programme ↗)“The starting point in adoption is to put the child's perspective first.”
- public support in adoption»Adoption bör underlättas med olika statliga eller andra offentliga åtgärder.« (party programme ↗)“Adoption should be facilitated with various public or other official measures.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan does not address international adoptions.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address international adoptions. The closest principles are that children's development is society's most important investment and that all public exercise of power shall be characterized by equal treatment and predictability. State responsibility for personal records and strengthened oversight of adoptions in countries without reliable regulation correspond to these principles, but the support is derived and weak.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte internationella adoptioner. Närmast liggande principer är att barns utveckling är samhällets viktigaste investering och att all offentlig maktutövning ska präglas av likabehandling och förutsebarhet. Statligt ansvar för personakter och stärkt tillsyn av adoptioner i länder utan tillförlitlig reglering svarar mot dessa principer, men stödet är härlett och svagt.
- barnens bästa i fokusdecisive»Samhällets viktigaste investering för framtiden är barns utveckling.« (party programme ↗)“Society's most important investment for the future is children's development.”
- rättssäker myndighetsutövning»principer om likabehandling och förutsebarhet.« (party programme ↗)“principles of equal treatment and predictability.”
- modern familjelagstiftning»Se till att all familjelagstiftning är könsneutral« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that all family law is gender-neutral”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that the child, when not growing up with its biological parents, in any case has the right to receive information about who they are, and it wants to increase the quality and legal certainty in investigations concerning children.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the child, when not growing up with its biological parents, in any case has the right to receive information about who they are, and it wants to increase the quality and legal certainty in investigations concerning children. That the state takes over custody of personal records, reviews access to DNA testing and strengthens oversight of international adoptions follows from these commitments with the child's best interest as starting point.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att barnet, när det inte växer upp med sina biologiska föräldrar, i alla fall har rätt att få information om vilka de är, och den vill öka kvaliteten och rättssäkerheten i utredningar om barn. Att staten tar över förvaringen av personakter, prövar tillgång till DNA-test och stärker tillsynen av internationella adoptioner följer av dessa åtaganden med barnets bästa som utgångspunkt.
- right to one's originsdecisive»möjligt skall barnet i alla fall ha rätt att få information om vilka de biologiska föräldrarna« (party programme ↗)“possible shall the child in any case have the right to receive information about who the biological parents”
- legally certain child investigations»Öka kvalité och rättssäkerhet i utredningar om barn« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase quality and legal certainty in investigations concerning children”
- quality-assured processes»Det finns ett stort behov av att processen kring placerade barn uppgraderas och kvalitetssäkras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There is a great need for the process concerning placed children to be upgraded and quality-assured.”
- the child's best interest»Att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That the child's best interest shall always be considered”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:SoU17)
- Committee report full text (HB01SoU17)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:102 — Förbättrat bemötande och ökad rättssäkerhet inom socialtjänsten av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:104 — Adoptionsrelaterade frågor av Nadja Awad m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2023/24:1045 — Jämställd fördelning av ekonomiskt bistånd av Azra Muranovic m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1068 — Tillgång till internet i riksnormen för försörjningsstöd av Åsa Karlsson och Helén Pettersson (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1166 — Motverka hemlöshet och främja det sociala perspektivet i samhällsplaneringen av Per-Arne Håkansson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1317 — Förbättrande av adoptionsprocesserna av Malin Larsson och Peter Hedberg (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1392 — Stoppat stöd till de som vistas olagligt i landet av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1396 — Ingen plats för hederskultur i ett demokratiskt och jämställt samhälle av Ann-Sofie Alm (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1448 — En säkrare arbetsmiljö av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1451 — Rätten till enskild gåva för barn och unga av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1499 — Lättillgängligt stöd av Eva Lindh och Mats Wiking (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1533 — Utvidgad utbildningsplikt för arbetslösa med försörjningsstöd av Oliver Rosengren (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1555 — Möjlighet att använda mellantvång av Eva Lindh m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1605 — Utvärdering av den svenska missbrukspolitiken av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1628 — För ett tryggare Malmö och Sverige av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1684 — Välfärdspengar av Eric Westroth (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1880 — Rättigheter för personer som adopterats av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2074 — Sällsynta sjukdomar och särläkemedel av Carina Ståhl Herrstedt m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2075 — Socialtjänsten av Carina Ståhl Herrstedt m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2100 — Ny lag om tvingande vård av vårdnadshavare av Roger Hedlund och Mattias Eriksson Falk (båda SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament