irish independent

mariemcconnon@v

Dream move home off as adopted child branded 'illegal alien'






Tuesday February 26 2008

AN Irish emigrant couple are being denied their "dream move" home with their adopted child because of laws which regard American states as completely different countries.

Michael Connolly and Barbara Mee moved to America in 1991, but are now looking to return home to Galway with their 14-month-old adopted daughter, Grace.

However, the married couple, who are currently on a ten-day holiday in Galway, have been told by the Adoption Authority of Ireland that Grace will not be granted an Irish passport because she was adopted in Michigan but lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with her parents.

"It's like an emotional slap in the face," mum Barbara told the Irish Independent. "Heartbroken wouldn't be the word for it. It's extremely upsetting. We've hit a wall with regard to our own country. She would have been granted an Irish passport if she lived in Michigan or was born in Massachusetts."

A spokesman for the Irish Adoption Authority said he would not comment on individual cases, but confirmed that American states were seen as different countries because they have different adoption laws.

The spokesman also said that if someone wants to move to Ireland with an adopted child, they have to live in the country where the child was adopted for at least a year.

But both Michael, who works for the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority (MBTA) and Barbara, moved straight back to their Boston home after finalising Grace's adoption in Michigan.

Michael Connolly says they straightened the legal issues surrounding the adoption in America through a US agreement designed to smooth out any issues surrounding interstate adoptions.

He says they went to a county clerk in Massachusetts to ensure everything was cleared in their home state.

"They recognised the Michigan adoption and said they needed no more legal action. I mean, try telling American people that Michigan and Massachusetts are two different countries. One of the reasons the couple picked us to adopt Grace was that they knew we were returning to Ireland."

Michael, who has contacted Minister for Children Brendan Smith, says he was told that if Grace came over, she would be treated as an illegal alien.

"When somebody tells us my daughter would be seen as an illegal alien, I don't know what to think."

holly_johnson

Shocking stuff, my heart goes out to the parents.