April Marked Third Anniversary of April 2021 Countering International Parental Child Abduction Month

In May, 2021, the United States federal government had a lot to say about international parental child abductions. The U.S. Department of State released a note on May 25, 2021 advising U.S. parents of the dangers of international parental child abductions, and confirming U.S. Congress’ move to make April 2021 Countering International Child Abduction Month. The U.S. Department of State urged parents to view international parental child abductions as just simple cases of “family matters”, and to be aware that international parental child abductions are serious crimes. In its note, the U.S. Department of State explained, “When one hen one parent takes or keeps a child in violation of the other parent’s custody rights, it’s not just a “family matter,” it’s international parental child abduction.”

U.S. Custody Orders and Foreign Courts

In addition to advising American parents of the risk of international parental child abductions by a non-custodial parent, the U.S. Department of State further explained the difficulty of locating and safely returning a child that has been a victim of an international parental child abduction. According to the Department, “U.S. custody orders are not always recognized in foreign countries, either. This means a left-behind parent may have to pursue custody through a foreign court – a process that can be extremely frustrating, costly, and time-consuming. In the meantime, the children involved may have little or no access to their left-behind parent.” Indeed, the challenges of locating and bringing an internationally abducted child home can be an uphill battle for any parent facing an abduction of their child by their ex-spouse or partner, and it is, therefore, important for parents to act immediately if they suspect the crime in progress.

The Hague Convention: A Treaty Designed to Help Get Internationally Abducted Children Back

Importantly, the Department advised that international laws do exist regarding the return of internationally abducted children. The Hague Convention of Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction was promulgated in order to resolve cases of international parental child abduction between borders and to “limit the trauma of the children and parents involved.” In the U.S., the Office of Children’s Issues in the Bureau of Consular Affairs implements the Hague Convention and is also responsible for responding to the cases where an American child is taken overseas to a country that is not a signatory to the treaty. The Department explains, “As well as helping left-behind parents pursue options for their child’s return or access to their child, we work directly with foreign governments to encourage them to join the Convention or, if a treaty partner is not living up to its obligations, improve its compliance. To this end, the Department takes advantage of every appropriate opportunity to raise these important issues with host government officials.”

Legal Help with Your International Family Law Hague Convention Case in Chicago

If you are in the Chicago area and you need urgent assistance with your international parental child abduction case, contact the experienced Chicago international family law Hague Convention lawyers at Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC. The experienced Chicago international family law Hague Convention lawyers at Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC offer a confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help fight for the safe return of your child to you. Contact Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC and speak to a lawyer about your rights, options, and next steps now.

Source:

state.gov/dipnote-u-s-department-of-state-official-blog/its-not-just-a-family-matter-helping-those-involved-in-international-parental-child-abduction/#:~:text=Congress%20has%20demonstrated%20its%20support,International%20Parental%20Child%20Abduction%20Month