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By Irina

Hundreds of adoptees in Denmark are still waiting for access to their own case files as the country continues to reshape its international adoption system following the closure of the nation’s last adoption agency. 

Hundreds Waiting for Case Insight

Nearly 400 adoptees in Denmark are still waiting for access to their personal adoption records. According to new figures from the Danish Appeals Board, a total of 913 requests for case access were filed since last November. Out of these, 519 cases have been processed so far.

The Appeals Board took over the responsibility from the now-closed Danish International Adoption (DIA) on November 1 of last year. The agency closed after international adoptions were suspended in early 2024 following reports of irregular paperwork and possible unlawful practices in adoption procedures.

Transition of Responsibilities

When the board assumed control, it inherited 525 unanswered requests for personal record access from DIA. Since then, 475 of these cases have been processed, each taking an average of about five weeks. Between November 2023 and October 2024, 388 new requests were filed, but only 44 of those have been completed so far.

Case processing continues in the order received, with priority given to those who have waited the longest. This backlog partly stems from years of limited oversight and administrative delays in the adoption sector.

Years of International Adoption to Be Examined

According to prior statistics, DIA facilitated 465 international adoptions between 2015 and 2022. Before DIA was established, the two separate agencies AC Børnehjælp and DanAdopt were responsible for a combined total of 20,621 international adoptions from 1969 to 2015. In 2015, the two merged to form DIA.

This long history is now under renewed scrutiny. Denmark’s international adoption sector has faced ongoing criticism, especially for its past record-keeping and lack of transparency. Such challenges echo similar issues seen abroad, for example in the complex historical adoption disputes involving Greenland, which also raised concerns about documentation and accountability.

An Independent Investigation Is Underway

Earlier this year, the Danish government formally approved the framework for an independent investigation into all international adoptions to Denmark between 1964 and 2016. The review will cover adoptions involving 70 different countries and will assess how Danish authorities and agencies handled them.

For now, it is not clear when the findings will be published. The scale of the investigation—covering more than five decades of adoption history—makes it one of the most extensive ever conducted in Denmark.

Working Toward a Future Adoption Model

The political agreement behind the investigation also established a working group to design a proposal for Denmark’s future adoption system by the summer of 2026. The goal is to ensure ethical transparency and a more efficient process for adoptees and families.

This initiative comes as many adoptees push for easier access to their personal histories. For them, gaining insight into their adoption files is not just about paperwork but about understanding their identity after years of uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the Appeals Board continues to handle the remaining requests and maintain contact with adoptees seeking answers. Progress has been slower than expected, but the ongoing national review could bring structural reform and better protection for all parties involved in future adoption processes.