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Most Russians support Dima Yakovlev Law – poll

Four percent would like to adopt a child
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, January 18 (Itar-Tass) — Most Russians – 76 percent – supported the ban for American adoption of the Russian children /the so-called Dima Yakovlev Law/, Russia’s oldest polling institution, VCIOM, reported on Friday following its survey.

Most respondents, who supported the ban which came into force on January 1, explain their position saying the children should be brought up in their Fatherland, “while abroad, adopted children often become objects of criminal offense,” VCIOM said. Those, opposing the law, say it “deprives the orphans of a chance to gain a family.”

The social experts say that over 50 percent of the surveyed /53 percent/ are sure the state should ban foreign adoption of little Russians. At the same time, three years earlier only 38 percent supported the initiative. Supporters of the opposite view have changed proportionally, too: in 2010 against the ban were 48 percent, while now – 35 percent.

The opponents give as main reasons higher living standards in other countries /48 percent/, adoption by foreigners of the children, who do not have a chance to find a new family in the Fatherland /48 percent/, and believe that citizenship of foster parents is of no importance /48 percent/. The respondents answering the question were to give only two reasons.

The surveyed, who did not have experience in adoption, said /14 percent/ that to an extent they may consider adoption, and four percent would like to adopt a child, and seven percent “do not rule out an opportunity, but some time later.” At the same time, 81 percent said they were not going to do so.

VCIOM conducted the survey on January 12–13. The polling institution surveyed 1,600 people, and the statistics margin does not exceed 3.4 percent.

Deputy Director of the Centre for Political Analysis Alexei Zudin said the poll’s results proved while passing the Dima Yakovlev Law, the State Duma deputies “followed the public opinion’s verdict.”

“Presently, the Russian society presents to the Russian state a wider range of requirements. The new norm ‘our children should live at home’ is one of those,” he said.