Italy Bans Surrogacy Abroad for All Couples
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Italy has made a new law. Now, couples in Italy cannot go to other countries to have a baby through surrogacy. Surrogacy is when a woman carries a baby for another couple or person. Some couples cannot have babies naturally, so they use surrogacy to become parents. But now, if Italians go to places like the USA or Canada for surrogacy, they can be punished. The punishment can be two years in prison or a big fine of up to €1 million.
The law affects all couples, but many people believe it is unfair to same-sex couples. In Italy, same-sex couples cannot adopt children or use treatments like IVF to have a baby. This law makes it even harder for them to become parents.
Some people are not happy with the new law. They say it is too strict and makes it harder for people to have families. One activist said, “If you have a baby, you should be celebrated, not punished!” But the government says the law is needed to protect women.
The new law is part of Italy’s plan to protect traditional families. Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, believes that only a man and a woman should raise children. She has said that surrogacy is not right and should be banned everywhere. Critics think this law will make life harder for many families.
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Italy has passed a new law that bans surrogacy for all couples, even if they travel abroad to countries where it is legal, like the United States or Canada. Surrogacy is a process where a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another couple. For many couples who struggle with fertility or same-sex couples, surrogacy offers a way to start a family. However, under the new law, Italian couples who seek surrogacy abroad could face up to two years in prison and a fine as high as €1 million.
The law has sparked debate across Italy, with many seeing it as a measure that disproportionately targets LGBT couples. Italy already prohibits same-sex couples from adopting children or using assisted reproductive technologies like IVF. Critics say this new law further limits their options for becoming parents, especially since LGBT couples cannot have children biologically together.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister, who leads the conservative Brothers of Italy party, strongly supports the law. She believes that children should only be raised by a mother and a father, and that surrogacy harms the dignity of women. Her government has pushed for policies that promote traditional family values, including the belief that surrogacy treats women like objects.
On the other hand, LGBT activists and other opposition groups have criticized the law, calling it outdated and discriminatory. One protester said, “This law punishes people for wanting to be parents. Families should be celebrated, not criminalized.” Some experts argue that the law will only push more people to go abroad for surrogacy in secret, which could lead to more legal issues down the line.
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In a landmark but controversial move, Italy has extended its ban on surrogacy to cover Italian couples who seek the practice abroad. While surrogacy is already illegal within Italy, the new law, passed by the Senate with 84 votes to 58, now criminalizes couples who travel to countries such as the United States or Canada, where commercial surrogacy is legal. Offenders could face up to two years of imprisonment and fines amounting to €1 million, significantly raising the stakes for Italians who wish to start families via surrogacy.
The law applies equally to heterosexual and same-sex couples, but many in the LGBT community argue that it disproportionately affects them. Italy already restricts LGBT couples from adopting children and from using other fertility treatments like IVF. The new law, they argue, is another step in the government’s socially conservative agenda to limit family-building options for non-traditional families.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has defended the law as a necessary step to protect the dignity of women and children. Meloni, who campaigned on a platform of “family values” as the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, has repeatedly spoken out against surrogacy, describing it as a practice that turns women’s bodies into commodities and exploits their vulnerabilities. “This is a moral issue,” Meloni said in a speech following the Senate vote. “We are not just talking about families; we are talking about human dignity.”
However, critics, including LGBT activists and legal experts, see the law as draconian and discriminatory. Riccardo Magi, an opposition lawmaker, condemned the decision, arguing that it would not stop surrogacy but instead push the practice underground. “By criminalizing these couples, we are forcing them to act in secrecy, which could lead to exploitation and human rights violations,” he said.
The Catholic Church has praised the law, with Pope Francis calling for a worldwide ban on surrogacy. Still, many are concerned about the long-term consequences for Italian families. LGBT couples, in particular, face an uphill battle, as they now have fewer legal options to become parents, both at home and abroad. Experts also worry that the law could face challenges in European courts, which have increasingly recognized the rights of same-sex parents.
