British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has apologised for the British state’s role in the forced adoption of babies born to unmarried mothers, describing the practice as a “stain on our history” and acknowledging the lasting trauma it caused to mothers, children and families.
He delivered the apology in Parliament on Thursday after years of campaigning by survivors and advocacy groups who had sought official recognition of the injustice.
Also Read | China’s new ethnic unity law: What it means for Uighurs, Tibetans and Taiwan
WATCH👀: Reforms UK Sarah Pochin break down after revealing forced adoption story pic.twitter.com/lXKC8dFaMP— UK DISPATCH (@UK_Dispatch_) July 2, 2026
A sorrow long overdue
Between 1949 and 1976, the British government and Christian churches oversaw a process that coerced and shamed many young mothers, often teenagers, into giving up their babies.
The scale of the practice was extensive. An estimated 185,000 children were forcibly adopted during that period. Starmer told lawmakers that the government was “deeply and profoundly sorry” to “every single person impacted” and said, “The state did not do enough to protect mothers, children, and families from harm, and for this systemic failure I am truly sorry.”
Responsibility wears many coats
The prime minister also said the practice had been embedded across “local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions and in health and social care services,” underscoring that responsibility extended beyond a single agency.
His remarks followed an apology from the Church of England last month, when Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally said the pain, shame, and indignity inflicted on mothers and children had been wrong and that the church was deeply ashamed the abuses had happened in the care of Christian communities.
The road to repair is only beginning
Starmer’s government said it will spend £4 million to help people access adoption records, support secondary services that reconnect relatives, and fund research into the long-term impact on survivors.
The apology also comes against a wider international backdrop. Australia apologized for its forced adoption history in 2013, followed by Ireland in 2021. In the UK, a parliamentary committee had already recommended a formal government apology four years ago after an investigation found multiple abuses against mothers.
Also Read | India condemns demolition of 125-year-old gurdwara in Pakistan
FAQs
Q1: Why did UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologise for forced adoptions?
Ans: Starmer apologised for the British state’s role in the forced adoption of babies born to unmarried mothers between 1949 and 1976, acknowledging the lasting harm caused to families.
Q2: How many children were affected by Britain’s forced adoption policy?
Ans: An estimated 185,000 children were forcibly adopted in Britain between 1949 and 1976, according to official findings cited in the report.
