Danish politicians demand action after documentary exposes forced adoptions

A new Danish documentary exposing the forced adoption of children has prompted calls for urgent reforms, with politicians describing the cases as “heartbreaking” and evidence of systemic failure, DR reports.

The three-part series When the State Adopts Away follows children removed from their biological parents, including a two-year-old girl given just four days to adjust to a new family—a process psychologists call harmful. Another child, a three-and-a-half-year-old, remains in temporary foster care despite being slated for adoption, while a third, Gustav, was returned to his original foster family after his adoptive parents changed their minds, abandoning him in a parking lot.

Since Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s 2020 pledge to increase forced adoptions—arguing it would give vulnerable children “security, love, and stability”—the number of cases has more than doubled, reaching 39 last year. But critics say the system is failing the very children it claims to protect.

Liberal Alliance’s social affairs spokesperson, Kathrine Daugaard, called for a parliamentary debate on pausing forced adoptions, citing “gross legal violations” and concerns that municipalities may prioritise adoption over foster care due to cost savings. The party also proposed a new administrative court to expedite rulings and fines for municipalities breaking adoption laws.

“We simply must introduce consequences,” Daugaard said, questioning whether the practice is “ethically and morally defensible.”

Danish Democrats’ Karina Adsbøl described the documentary as “grotesque state care failure,” comparing children to “pawns in a game.” She demanded a minister-led task force with expert input to reform the system.

Socialist People’s Party (SF) social affairs spokesperson Astrid Carøe acknowledged the law’s intent—to reduce instability for at-risk children—but said the opposite was happening. “Children end up in limbo during their most critical years. That’s unacceptable,” she said, urging improvements in the upcoming budget negotiations.

Social Democrat MP Camilla Fabricius rejected calls for a pause, insisting decisions must support children when authorities deem adoption necessary. The party declined further comment, though former social minister Sophie Hæstorp Andersen previously told DR the system “must function properly” for the sake of children and families.

The documentary is available on DRTV.