Surrogacy: The million-euro business with Ukrainian surrogate mothers
Despite Russia's war of aggression, German couples continue to be among the most important customers. Insights into a complex system and a controversial market.
Munich. Anna remembers exactly the moment when she sat in a sterile doctor's room in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and looked at the screen: "I know it's not my child," says the Ukrainian. "That becomes clear immediately when you see the embryo being inserted into your own uterus." Anna had already been a surrogate mother twice. She sees this as a "temporary job".
The child from her second pregnancy she carried for a German couple. "They help me financially, I help them in a human way. I fulfil their dreams, so to speak." During pregnancy, Anna is insured and receives around €25,000. This corresponds to about four times the average annual salary in Ukraine. The first time, she needed the money to finance an operation for her mother.
The second time, she wanted to buy an apartment. For clinics and agencies specialising in mediation, Anna's pregnancy is a lucrative business. In Germany, surrogacy is prohibited, while in the USA it has been established for years. What is less well-known is that Ukraine is a central mediation market for German couples with unfulfilled desire for children - even in the midst of war.
The Handelsblatt has researched over the past few weeks how complex the market is, how much money is behind it - and how the lucrative business continues to function even under these exceptional conditions.
Translated by urgent.news. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
