Democratic Republic of the Congo
October 23, 2013Alert: Democratic Republic of the Congo Authorities Announce Changes to Suspension Exceptions and New Prohibition on Adoptions by Single Parents
Changes to limited exceptions to suspension on exit permit issuances:
On October 22, the Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security,
General Direction of Migration (DGM) clarified limited exceptions to
the suspension of exit permit issuance referred to in the Department of
State’s October 8 adoption notice.
The DGM will issue exit permits to adopted Congolese children whose
adoptions were approved by the Congolese Ministry of Gender and
Family’s interministerial adoption committee beforeSeptember 25, 2013.
The DGM provided the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa with a list of children
whose adoptions meet this requirement. The U.S. Department of State will
contact the families whose children are on the DGM’s list by October
28. Adoptive parents are advised that the possession of a U.S.
immigrant visa may not, on its own, be sufficient for the DGM to issue
an exit permit to an adopted Congolese child.
Adoptive parents whose Congolese children’s cases fall under the
exception must apply in person to the DGM’s Administrative Secretary
for exit permits. Please note there is no fee for the service. The DGM
usually takes a minimum of seven days to process exit permits for
adopted children. The DGM Administrative Secretary may be reached at:
Mr. Albert Luyinu, Administrative Secretary
Direction Generale d’Immigration
65, Boulevard du 30 juin,
Commune de la Gombe
Ville de Kinshasa, R.D.Congo
Direction Generale d’Immigration
65, Boulevard du 30 juin,
Commune de la Gombe
Ville de Kinshasa, R.D.Congo
The DGM further clarified that the Ministry of Gender and Family will
not process any pending or new applications for approval of adoptions
during the suspension on exit permit issuances.
New prohibition on adoptions by single parents:
On October 22, the DGM informed the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa that it
will no longer issue exit permits to Congolese children adopted by
single parents, unless the adoption meets the above criteria for
limited exceptions. The DGM contends that certain provisions of
Congolese law prohibit single individuals from adopting Congolese
children. This prohibition applies to single individuals from all
countries and is intended to be permanent. The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa
is seeking clarification on the prohibition’s impact on children whose
adoptions by U.S. families were already completed in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo before the suspension.
Adoptions in progress:
Prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers are
reminded that adopted Congolese children cannot depart the Democratic
Republic of the Congo without an exit permit. Therefore, while the
courts may continue processing adoptions, the children adopted during
the suspension will not be able to obtain exit permits to depart the
country.
Please direct questions related to this alert or a specific adoption to
the Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues at 1-888-407-4747
within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United
States. Email inquiries may be directed to AskCI@state.gov. We will also post new information as it becomes available on www.adoption.state.gov.
