Zoe Pallier, edited by Wassila Belhacine 07:41, May 11, 2022

In Europe, Ukraine is one of the main countries to welcome couples resorting to surrogacy (GPA).

Since the beginning of the war, some Ukrainian surrogate mothers had to leave the country and arrived in France to give birth.

An association opposed to surrogacy has just lodged a complaint with prosecutors in order to denounce this situation.

In recent years, Ukraine has become one of the main destinations for French couples wishing to resort to surrogacy (GPA).

Many surrogate mothers have given birth since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While some gave birth there, others fled the war and arrived in France.

However, French law prohibits surrogacy.

An association has just lodged a complaint against X with various prosecutors in France to denounce the situation.

A misuse of the law 

They would be five Ukrainian surrogate mothers to give birth under X in a French maternity hospital.

To derogate from the ban on surrogacy, some biological fathers decide to recognize the child before birth.

The spouse can then adopt the child.

According to Aude Mirkovic, spokesperson for the association Juristes pour l'Enfance, opposed to surrogacy, this practice constitutes a diversion of the law.

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"These facts constitute a criminal offense of incitement to the abandonment of the child. We hope with our complaints to put a stop to the development of this practice. How can we accept that people who have "ordered" a child can be recognized as his parents on French soil?”, she denounces at the microphone of Europe 1.

"A state of necessity"

For lawyer Clélia Richard, who defends the couples concerned, these cases are explained by the circumstances of the war in Ukraine.

According to her, the practice is not likely to become widespread.

"Wars have always generated periods when one could derogate from common law, and that's normal. I just hope that the state of necessity in which families have found themselves will empty the reasons why they could be continued in normal times", she says at the microphone of Europe 1.

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GPA in Ukraine: why are French families worried?

The couples knew the risks before bringing the surrogate mother to France, assures the lawyer.

If prosecutors decide to prosecute these parents, they could risk six months in prison and a fine of 7,500 euros.