Italian Senate Passes Law Banning People From Seeking Surrogacy Abroad
Italy passed a law on Wednesday that criminalizes seeking surrogacy abroad, a move the country’s conservative government said would protect women’s dignity, while critics said it would deprive gay or infertile couples of a way to have children.
Surrogacy is already illegal in Italy. But the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has vowed to broaden the ban to punish Italians who seek it in countries where it is legal, like in parts of the United States.
Italy’s Senate approved the bill with 84 votes in favor and 58 against. The Roman Catholic church, along with many feminists, have opposed surrogacy, and it is outlawed in other European countries.
In some, like the United Kingdom and Greece, it is legal under certain conditions. The law passed on Wednesday in Italy is so far-reaching that it was unclear if it would withstand legal challenges.
