Cambodian Court Sentences 13 Filipino Women to Prison for Surrogacy in Crackdown on Human Trafficking.

Cambodia:

A Cambodian court has sentenced 13 pregnant Filipino women to four years in prison for their involvement in an illegal surrogacy operation. The women, along with 24 others detained in Kandal province in September, were charged with attempted cross-border human trafficking.

Following a trial, the court determined that the women intended to sell the babies they were carrying to third parties in exchange for money, which is classified as human trafficking. The court’s ruling included a two-year suspension of the sentences, meaning the women will serve two years in prison.

In addition to the 13 women, a Cambodian woman who was involved in cooking meals for the detainees received a two-month prison sentence. Seven other Filipino women and four Vietnamese women, who were not pregnant, were deported from Cambodia.

The case follows a series of similar crackdowns on commercial surrogacy, which was banned in Cambodia in 2016 after its neighbor Thailand also prohibited the practice. Despite the ban, demand for surrogacy remains high, particularly among Chinese couples, with some willing to pay up to $100,000 for a surrogate mother in Cambodia.

The fate of the babies born to the women remains unclear, as no details were provided in the court’s statement. This latest case highlights the ongoing issues surrounding illegal surrogacy and human trafficking in the region.