Ukrainian surrogates carrying the children of their foreign clients are reluctant to leave their home country despite the Russian invasion, leaving the biological parents feeling anxious about the safety of their babies.
Ukraine has been a popular surrogacy destination for foreign couples. According to Sam Everingham in a report by Yahoo!, they are the second most popular destination globally for surrogacy arrangements, behind only the United States. It is estimated that there are currently 800 Ukrainian women pregnant with babies to foreign clients.
Julia Osiyevska, who is the director of the New Hope surrogacy agency in Ukraine, talked about the current situation of their business. According to Osiyevska, she cannot leave Ukraine despite the ongoing war as she cannot abandon the surrogates under her care and the parents-to-be who are relying on her.
Surrogates have the right to decide if they want to leave or not
Osiyevska told i News that it was hard for her to balance the needs and fears of the Ukrainian surrogates and the people they are carrying the babies for. She understands where both parties are coming from, saying that "intended parents are scared and frightened as the surrogates [who] are carrying their child."
Osiyevska reiterates that the surrogacy center treats the surrogates and the biological parents equally. That being said, the surrogate still has the right to decide if she does not want to flee from Ukraine.
Osiyevska emphasized this point, saying, "Surrogates are not hostages or slaves." She added that many surrogates under their care are too afraid to move to a different place even though there is a war happening in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict is a "terribly difficult situation for them too."
Osiyevska explained that New Hope is a small business compared to other surrogacy agencies in Ukraine. New Hope works with foreign couples, including those from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and is supporting nine pregnant Ukrainian surrogates at the moment.
New Hope agency bringing surrogates to Moldova
Just days before the interview, Osiyevska said she spent 19 hours alongside five of the company's surrogates and their children on a bus ride to neighboring Moldova. Not all surrogates were willing to move to Moldova, though, as according to Osiyevska, the prospect of moving to another country terrifies some pregnant mothers.
There was another case where the agency had already brought a surrogate to Moldova, but she decided to return to Ukraine just days later. According to Osiyevska, many surrogates don't want to leave Ukraine despite the war because the men are prohibited from joining them in leaving the country.
Osiyevska added that living in other places such as Moldova is more expensive than staying in Ukraine. Many of their surrogates can't support themselves without their husbands. According to a report by the BBC, a total of 2.8 million people have already fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. At least 106,994 Ukrainian refugees have gone to Moldova as of March 13.
