Why Ukraine May Restrict Its Booming Surrogacy Business | Global News Podcast

Why It Matters

The legislation could reshape a lucrative cross‑border industry, affecting thousands of Ukrainian women’s livelihoods and raising global ethical concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable populations in reproductive commerce.

Key Takeaways

• Ukraine's surrogacy industry is booming despite ongoing war
• Proposed bill would ban foreign couples from Ukrainian surrogacy
• Lack of regulation raises risks for children and surrogate mothers
• Surrogates earn roughly $17,000, double average Ukrainian salary
• Critics warn exploitation of vulnerable women and orphaned babies

Summary

The BBC Global News Podcast examines Ukraine’s rapidly growing surrogacy market, which has rebounded to near‑pre‑war levels despite the country’s ongoing conflict. A draft bill now seeks to restrict the practice by prohibiting foreign couples from commissioning surrogacy unless at least one party is Ukrainian, citing regulatory gaps and a demographic crisis. The industry currently generates around $60,000 per contract, paying surrogates roughly $17,000—about twice the national average salary—while attracting clients from the United States, Europe and beyond. Critics argue the lack of oversight leaves children and surrogate mothers vulnerable, and the proposed law aims to protect both groups and keep Ukrainian births for Ukrainian families. Personal stories illustrate the stakes: 17‑year‑old Karina, displaced from Bahmut, turned to surrogacy for survival; a UK couple, Elena and Eiggo, endured bomb‑shelter stays to collect their baby; and a premature boy with severe brain injury was abandoned by his intended parents, highlighting enforcement challenges. Women’s‑rights activists warn that agencies prey on war‑driven desperation, while agencies themselves claim demand will simply shift to other jurisdictions. If enacted, the bill could cut a vital income source for many Ukrainian women and force the industry to relocate, likely to neighboring Georgia. The debate underscores broader ethical questions about commodifying reproduction, the need for robust legal frameworks, and the economic calculus of a war‑torn nation seeking foreign revenue.

Original Description

Ukraine is considered a global hub for surrogate pregnancy. Four years after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, people from all over the world still pay thousands of dollars for Ukrainian women to have babies for them.

But Ukraine's parliament is now considering a bill that would introduce stricter oversight of the surrogacy industry and effectively ban access to foreigners, who make up 95% of the intended parents.

The BBC's global health reporter Sofia Bettiza has been speaking to surrogate mothers, and the families who hire them, about the ethical questions surrounding surrogacy, how the industry currently works, and the impact the proposed law could have.

She also tells us what happens when children born to a surrogate are left behind by their intended parents.

New episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT

And you can find more of our Youtube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews

00:00 Intro

01:43 Why Ukraine wants to restrict surrogacy

02:40 One surrogate mother's story

04:20 How much do surrogates make?

07:08 Waiting for a baby in a war zone

08:15 Children left behind

10:28 What would a crackdown mean for surrogates?