Italy’s Constitutional Court Allows Single People to Adopt Foreign Kids

Italy’s Constitutional Court has ruled that unmarried people can adopt foreign minors, ending a 40-year-long ban on the practice

Italy’s Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that unmarried individuals can adopt foreign minors, overturning a 40-year ban and setting a legal precedent that could eventually extend to domestic adoptions. The court declared unconstitutional a 1983 law that restricted international adoptions to married couples, arguing that such exclusion compromised a child's right to a stable and supportive family environment.

The decision comes amid a decline in international adoptions in Italy, which has faced growing challenges due to bureaucratic hurdles and high costs. According to the country’s international adoption commission, international adoptions in the first half of 2024 fell by 5.6% compared to the same period in 2023 and by 14.3% compared to 2022.

The ruling has been met with political division. While Italy’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, opposed the change in court, the center-left opposition welcomed it as a landmark decision. Democratic Party lawmaker Alessandro Zan praised the ruling as a victory for children’s rights and personal freedoms, calling on parliament to update legislation and remove ideological barriers. He also advocated for further reforms to extend adoption rights to same-sex couples.

The court’s ruling takes effect immediately, marking a significant shift in Italy’s adoption policies. In contrast, the Meloni government recently passed legislation criminalizing Italian citizens who seek surrogacy abroad, a measure critics have condemned as discriminatory against same-sex couples.