A Canadian woman who adopted a child in Nigeria has lamented the continued delay in issuing him a passport to join her in the North American country.
Charlene Berkvens had adopted her son, now seven years old, two years ago in Lagos but the Immigration, Refugees and Citizen Canada (IRCC) has delayed issuing him the necessary documents to begin life with her in Canada.
Before the adoption, Berkvens, who live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, went through three years of home visits from social workers, parental training programs, police record checks, reviews and approval from the Manitoba government, all while working with adoption agencies.
The Nigerian government legally certified the adoption in December 2021 during a months-long visit she made to Lagos.
Berkvens said she had reached out to IRCC and its office in Accra, Ghana — which is involved in the immigration process — bet has yet to receive any convincing answers. She also wrote to the immigration minister in Canada as well as her member of parliament, James Bezan, but all her efforts have been in vain.
Bezan said after his office sent the IRCC an inquiry, it said the process was in queue for an immigration officer’s attention.
A report by CBC News said the IRCC said Nigeria is not a signatory to The Hague Convention which sought to protect children from illegal adoption abroad and prevent human trafficking hence Canada must ensure people are not taking kids out of their countries without authorization.
Alberta-based Canadian immigration lawyer Alicia Backman-Beharry said the Canadian government is often reluctant to process adoptions from Lagos as it searches for fraudulent process even where there is none.
Berkvens also said the adoption agencies she engaged at the outset told her to expect it would take two to three years for the adoption itself to be finalized.
Meanwhile, she continues to pay an orphanage in Lagos for her son’s care.
She and her son video chat weekly. She said it’s important for her to ensure her son retains cultural connections, and that they visit Nigeria as he grows up so that he has a good understanding of where he comes from.
