Warning to intended Irish parents as Georgia bans international surrogacies
To Ivf Formally Has And Surrogate Arrangements Treatment Ban Georgia Proposed International
An Irish solicitor has said intended parents should seek legal advice in Georgia immediately after the country formally proposed to ban international IVF treatment and surrogate arrangements.
Last week, Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said the country is calling a halt to the practices due to “a risk that such children might be destined for same-sex parents abroad”.
Georgia is one of the most popular locations for Irish couples hoping to conceive a child through surrogacy.
Legislation in the area is currently making its way through the Oireachtas here.
Annette Hickey, who specialises in IVF and surrogacy law in Ireland, is warning families who have started the process in Georgia to speak to a solicitor over there immediately.
“This announcement by the prime minister came totally out of the blue," said Ms Hickey.
"Do not sign any documents where they cannot be complied with.
“Even though this is a verbal announcement, the country is changing its laws so don’t move forward until you have the right advice."
On June 12, Mr Garibashvili said Georgia would aim to tightly regulate the whole area of surrogacy and in vitro fertilisation.
The international ban is expected to be approved before the end of the year and to come into effect on January 1, 2024.
Mr Garibashvili said the change in law is due to a "so-called 'sophisticated business'" to "our" Georgian women.
"There is information that same-sex couples may take the children born here, and there can be a lot of problems," he said.
His comments were echoed by health minister Zurab Azarashvili who said the change will apply to foreigners seeking to use IVF services such as donor eggs. He pointed to “unethical and bad practices”.
He said these include "child selling" and "organ trafficking".
"Since the issue was left unregulated, we were unable to track where these children were going," the minister added.
Ms Hickey said: “I feel sorry for intended parents who are on a journey they have been pursuing a long time.
“First there was the war in Ukraine which caused so much anxiety, and the advice from the Irish Government is not to go ahead with surrogacies in Ukraine.
“Now it’s Georgia and that is very hard for people who, on the other side of things, are waiting for the whole area to be regulated here. So they have it on both sides now."