The Norwegian Ministry of Children and Families announced on Wednesday that it would not stop international adoptions amid an investigation into out-of-country adoption practices but would instead implement risk-reducing measures to ensure that adoptions to Norway are safe and secure.

In 2023, the Norwegian government established a committee to investigate illegal or unethical practices in international adoptions. The committee commenced its work in December 2023 and is expected to deliver its report in two years.

In January 2024, the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) recommended a temporary suspension of international adoptions to Norway while awaiting the report from the investigative committee. In response, the Ministry of Children and Families requested additional information in order to ensure a thorough understanding of the situation. It also noted that the priority task was to ensure that adoptions are safe and secure, and in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. In April 2024, Bufdir submitted an update maintaining its recommendation that adoptions be suspended but with certain exceptions for families long into the process.

The Ministry of Children and Families decided to introduce risk-reducing measures to ensure safe adoptions but does not find grounds for a general interim suspension. In 2023, the ministry asked Bufdir to carry out a review of mediation licenses for all countries Norway collaborates with to ensure legal certainty in adoptions. Bufdir has withdrawn the mediation licenses for Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Madagascar in 2023, and for the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa, and Peru in 2024.