Surrogacy under scrutiny as investigations expose alleged cross-border exploitation in Europe

Monday 31 August 2026 - 09:47

By: Azzat Manal

Surrogacy under scrutiny as investigations expose alleged cross-border exploitation in Europe

Europe's surrogacy industry is facing growing scrutiny after investigations and legal cases highlighted allegations of exploitation involving economically vulnerable women, cross-border recruitment and inadequate protections for surrogate mothers.

The global surrogacy market is expected to expand significantly over the coming years, increasing concerns among human rights advocates about the potential risks created when reproductive services become commercialized across national borders. The European Parliament has also raised concerns about situations in which surrogacy arrangements may overlap with forms of exploitation and human trafficking.

Georgia has emerged as a major destination for international surrogacy arrangements, but recent cases have exposed serious vulnerabilities within the sector. One of the most prominent cases involved the Georgian agency Kinderly, which recruited women from several countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Russia.

According to accounts cited in investigations, some women were attracted by promises of substantial financial compensation. One Kyrgyz woman travelled to Georgia in 2024 after experiencing financial and personal difficulties. She subsequently became pregnant with twins after entering into an agreement with the agency.

Her pregnancy was reportedly complicated by health problems, while some of the payments promised under the arrangement were allegedly delayed or left unpaid. Following a caesarean delivery in January 2025, she and other surrogate mothers reportedly faced poor living conditions and inadequate postnatal support.

The situation deteriorated further when Kinderly allegedly stopped making payments and reduced assistance for basic necessities. Seventeen women and ten children were reportedly moved to a poorly maintained accommodation facility in Tbilisi. The company later declared bankruptcy, leaving numerous surrogate mothers without the financial and medical support they had expected.

In June 2026, a Tbilisi court convicted the company's founders of misappropriating funds belonging to surrogate mothers and biological parents. They were reportedly sentenced to ten years in prison each. The case has renewed debate over whether existing contractual arrangements are sufficient to protect women involved in international surrogacy.

Lawyers representing affected women have argued that a signed contract does not necessarily guarantee meaningful protection, particularly when there is a major imbalance of power between agencies and economically vulnerable surrogate mothers.

Concerns have also emerged beyond Georgia. Turkish authorities previously investigated allegations involving a fertility clinic in Istanbul that was accused of targeting vulnerable young women with promises of substantial payments. Investigators examined claims that women were given fertility medication before allegedly being transported across borders using false documents.

Another investigation in Cyprus involved allegations that Thai women had been recruited under the pretext of becoming surrogate mothers before allegedly having their passports confiscated and being subjected to fertility treatments. Authorities examined claims that their eggs were subsequently intended for use in assisted reproduction.

These cases illustrate the complex legal environment surrounding reproductive services in the region. Regulations differ substantially between countries, allowing reproductive arrangements to move across borders when particular procedures are restricted or prohibited in one jurisdiction but permitted elsewhere.

Medical experts have also warned that pregnancy through surrogacy can involve significant health risks for both the woman carrying the pregnancy and the child. Advocates therefore argue that medical supervision, informed consent and adequate postnatal care should remain central to any reproductive arrangement.

The issue has also attracted attention in the United Kingdom, where commercial surrogacy is prohibited domestically but international arrangements remain possible under certain legal conditions. Official figures cited in the investigation indicate that 130 single British men applied between 2019 and 2025 for legal parenthood orders concerning children born through overseas surrogacy, compared with 23 applications involving domestic arrangements.

Campaigners say the figures raise difficult questions about whether international surrogacy can create a system in which children become commodities and economically disadvantaged women are placed under disproportionate pressure.

Supporters of tighter regulation argue that women should have genuine freedom to give or withdraw consent and should not be bound by contractual arrangements that effectively remove control over their bodies or reproductive decisions.

The growing number of cross-border cases has therefore intensified calls for stronger international safeguards. Human rights organizations and legal experts are urging governments to improve oversight of fertility agencies, strengthen protections for surrogate mothers and establish clearer rules concerning the rights of children born through international surrogacy.

The debate ultimately extends beyond the legality of surrogacy itself. It concerns how reproductive freedom, economic inequality, medical ethics and children's rights should be balanced in an increasingly international fertility market.