In the last 10 years there have been 234 adoptions of children who have joined families in Malta, and the majority of adoptions are from foreign countries. India was the country from which children were most adopted.
Adoptions have halved over the past two years, as the restrictions brought about by the pandemic have affected adoption processes. A total of 23 adoptions took place in 2021; 19 children from India were reunited in a family in Malta, three adoptions were from children from Bulgaria, and one adoption took place in Malta itself. In 2020, 22 adoptions were concluded – the majority of children were from India (18 adoptions), while two were from Malta and two were from Portugal.
These details were given at a news conference by the Minister for Solidarity and Social Justice, the Family and the Rights of the Child Michael Falzon and the Chief Executive of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services ( FSWS) Alfred Grixti. During this conference details were given on the number of adoptions in recent years as well as on fostering and permanence.
“The priority will always be children and their future, so we must continue to facilitate fostering and adoption processes with the main goal of giving dignity to every child, and above all a future full of positive aspirations and opportunities.” , said Minister Michael Falzon.
FSWS Chief Executive Alfred Grixti spoke about the innovative concept of permanence, where children can now be reunited with their foster family after five years, and in exceptional cases the period may be reduced to three years. 
