Surrogate babies stranded in US as agencies try to navigate through pandemic

While surrogacy services continued throughout the COVID- 19 pandemic, the virus did bring about risks and even tragedy.

Media reported that some babies born to surrogate mothers have been left stranded overseas due to lockdown measures.

Liu Ningguang, general manager of the China region of the New York- based Global Fertility Genetics, which provides fertility treatment and surrogacy services, told the Global Times that Chinese clients seeking surrogacy in the US have cancelled traveling to the US during the COVID- 19 outbreak, largely because of quarantine restrictions on entering and exiting the country.

Normally, parents need to visit the foreign country to pick up their biological children born to surrogate mothers.

During the pandemic, some babies have been stranded as expectant parents were unable to enter the country, Liu said.

Chinese people’s willingness to travel to the US has been greatly discouraged given the US’ disastrous handling of the pandemic.

Some people have been unable to obtain US visas because of the outbreak, so they cannot meet their surrogate babies as scheduled. It is often seen that clients will have their entry plans disrupted or suddenly changed due to unanticipated quarantine measures. People traveling from the Chinese mainland to the US are usually required to stay in quarantine at a third facility for at least 14 days on inbound and outbound trips, Liu noted.

In such cases, prospective parents can ask for a temporary guardian in the US for custody to avoid the baby being held up in a medical facility, he said.

The Straits Times reported in May 2020 that the surrogacy system has been tipped into chaos by the pandemic, creating a “pileup” of newborns waiting to be picked up by

their biological Chinese parents.

Ulovebaby, a Kiev- based surrogacy agency, told the Global Times that the global spread of COVID- 19 hasn’t affected its business.

“One reason is that, Ukraine approved visa- free travel for Chinese citizens months ago,” said a staffer surnamed Kang.

Ukraine recognizes China as a low- risk country for COVID- 19 and Chinese citizens can visit Ukraine amid the pandemic without neither [ nucleic acid] tests nor self- isolation, as website visitukraine. today showed.