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The SAI has become the SASIE

Since October 25, 2022, the Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale (SAI) has changed its name for the Secrétariat aux services internationaux à l’enfant (SASIE). For more information, see the News section of our website.

Training prior to adopting a child domiciled outside Québec will become mandatory

As of August 10, 2023, the International Adoption: First Steps and Thoughts training program will be mandatory for all persons domiciled in Québec considering international adoption. For more information, see the News section of our website.

Countries that prohibit adoption - Kafala

Adoption is prohibited in most countries whose judicial system is based fully or partly in Islamic law. Those countries have other measures for protecting children, the best known being kafala.

Kafala is generally defined as a voluntary commitment to take charge of the needs, upbringing and protection of a minor child. In certain cases, kafala is combined with tutorship. As kafala does not create a legal parent-child relationship between the child who is taken in charge and the person holding the right, it cannot be considered adoption. In fact, kafala is not covered by the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry AdoptionLien externe, une nouvelle page s'ouvrira., which applies only to adoptions that create a permanent parent-child relationship (Article 2).

Québec residents may adopt only children who are domiciled in, or habitually reside in, a State that recognizes adoption as defined in the Hague Convention. In matters of international adoption, Québec legislation specifically requires that the current legislation of the child's country of origin be taken into consideration. That makes it impossible to adopt children from countries that prohibit adoption, regardless of whether they are protected under kafala. This explains why no agencies have been certified to arrange adoption, for residents of Québec, in countries where the kafala system exists.

Since children from those countries cannot be adopted, they also cannot be sponsored for immigration purposes. In addition, neither Canadian nor Québec legislation provides for the immigration of children who are under legal tutelage.

Would-be adoptive parents are therefore encouraged to look to countries that allow adoption and for which an adoption agency has been certified by the Québec Minister of Health and Social Services.

For all information, contact the Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale (SAI).

The original French text was written in collaboration with the ministère de l'Immigration, de la Diversité et de l'InclusionLien externe, une nouvelle page s'ouvrira. (in French).