Surrogate Babies In Ukraine Are Not 'Home' Yet Due To Lockdown

About 35 infants born to surrogate mothers for foreigners are stranded in Hotel Venice, a hotel owned by BioTexCom clinic, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The same situation applies to other surrogate babies. They are left stranded due to Ukraine's closed borders under the coronavirus disease restrictions that prevent parents from the United States, Europe, and elsewhere from traveling to collect their children.

Currently, Ukraine's human rights ombudswoman, Lyudmila Denisova, has appealed to authorities to find a solution.

According to Denisova, about 100 children are already waiting for their parents in different centers of reproductive medicine. She is concerned that if quarantine continues, the number of babies waiting will increase to thousands.

Ukraine is known and thriving in its surrogate industry, and it is one of the few countries that legally allow the service for foreigners.

The country's economic struggles have driven many Ukrainian women to become surrogate mothers. Currently, there are about 50 clinics that offer surrogate births operate in Ukraine.

Within these unprecedented times, especially with the border closure taking longer due to the pandemic, the level of concern and distress is high, placing a burden on surrogate clinics and the parents.

The issue was given focus and has attracted wide attention after BioTexCom, Ukraine's largest surrogate operation, posted a video showing 35 babies in bassinets arranged in tight rows in two large rooms of its Hotel Venice where the clinic puts up its clients.

At BioTexCom, a surrogate mother receives between $15,000 and $17,000 to give birth to a baby.

Rafa Aires, a parent from Spain, managed to get in before the lockdown. Aires was united with his daughter, Marta, but was not allowed to leave as Kyiv has suspended almost all flights, not to mention the paperwork that needs to accomplish first.

Aires' wife, Maria, who was unable to travel with him due to work, was left to a stressful wait.

According to Aires, he makes video calls with his wife daily for an hour or an hour and a half, and the situation has been complicated. However, the nurses and medical personnel in the hotel are lovely, and they make his life more comfortable.

BioTexCom's video, which aimed to reassure absent parents that their little ones are receiving good care, showed nurses bathing, and caressing their children, has spurred the government into action.

Denisova, who met with foreign ministry representatives on Thursday, said that the issue remains unresolved. However, she assured everyone that they are developing a mechanism to get out of the said situation.

Under the proposed mechanism, foreign parents will have to write a statement that is addressed to Denisova's office. After this, the said office will then contact the ministry with a request to grant and give them permission to enter their country's borders.

The government says that it can only permit parents to enter Ukraine if it receives a request from the relevant embassy. As of now, Ukraine's restrictions are to remain in place until at least May 22.