LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)- Malawi could be on the verge of subjecting its children to trafficking, after fresh reports of suspicious child adaptation the country has delved into in the last two years.

The Maravi Post has established that above 18 Malawian children, including twins of American pop star Madonna, have been adopted in the last two years.

Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, is said to be registering the highest number of adoptions in the country, since it hosts the children’s court, and also that it is centrally located.

The development has angered country’s state human right body, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), which argues that adoptions may have ill intentions.

The MHRC has said that while there are genuinely altruistic adoptions, the exercise can be easily used to augment illegal activities including trafficking in person, as well promote child labor and smuggling in persons.

The commission said although it has not received any complaints regarding illegal adoptions, there were allegations heard during its monitoring exercise in child care institutions.

“The challenge of the country’s weakness and gaps in the Laws, were highlighted during the first adoption of David Banda by Madonna.

“When we visit some institutions, it’s apparent that there are inter-country adoptions taking place, and whether they are necessary and in the best interest of the child, it’s a matter of unsettled debate,” MHRC Chairperson Justin Dzonzi said.

But Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Spokesperson Lucy Bandazi, justified the adoptions and argued that Malawi does not have any law that limits the number of children an individual can adopt in the country.

Bandazi therefore, assured the general public that the new provision of the law covers the best interests of the child in all decisions concerning children, and incorporates the principles of the 1993 Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption.

Inter-country children adoption crusade is being necessitated by the archaic clause of the Adoption of Children Act of 1949, coupled with orphan-hood and abandonment.

The Act has a lot of gaps as it fails to incorporate the principle of the best interest of the child being the primary consideration in all matters concerning children.

The law does not even embrace internationally recognized standards and policies in matters of children welfare.

The outdated legal framework also does not expressly provide for offences and rescission of the adoption order.