March 8, 2013
Alert: Morocco
On September 21, 2012, Moroccan Justice Minister El Mostapha Ramid
published a notice instructing Moroccan prosecutors to oppose any
petitions filed with a juvenile judge seeking the granting of Kafala
guardianship decrees to foreign prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) who
do not reside in Morocco. In his notice, he asks the prosecutors to
emphasize to courts the importance of in-country residency for the
Kafala guardianship, to verify whether the prospective adoptive parents
reside in Morocco, and to request that judges not issue Kafala orders
to foreign PAPs who are not residing in Morocco. The notice states that
the new instructions are to ensure the proper application of the
existing law. It does not contain any provisions addressing already
pending Kafala guardianship petitions.
The Department of State is asking U.S. families who are in the
process of applying for guardianship of a Moroccan child to contact the
Office of Children’s Issues at
AskCI@state.gov.
We ask that you provide information about where you are in the process
(i.e., matched with a Moroccan child, matched and met Moroccan child,
child’s full name and date of birth, region from which the child is
being adopted, documentation showing you are approved to adopt a child
with special needs, and/or court date set). This information will help
us better understand the number of U.S. citizens who may be affected by
this Moroccan notice. Please use the subject line “Intercountry
guardianship from Morocco” to ensure your email is properly routed. We
are also requesting that your email include an attached completed
Privacy Act Waiver (Form DS 5505),
even if you have already provided this information to the Department
of State or the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca. If you choose to
submit a Privacy Act Waiver, please specify on the form with whom the
Department may share information regarding your case. You may choose
to include the Moroccan government and/or your members of Congress.
Please
do not send photos, any other documents, or any additional information
at this time. Large documents/photos could hamper our ability to
access the inbox.
The Office of Children's Issues will reach out directly to families
as additional information becomes available. Any such information that
affects U.S. citizens who are in the process of obtaining guardianship
of a child from Morocco will also be posted on the State Department’s
website (
adoption.state.gov).
Please continue to monitor
adoption.state.gov for updated information
http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=morocco_1
Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/
