The ministry of external affairs has informed an American woman that she will be issued the certificate of identity for her seven-week-old surrogate baby, Emperor, if she produces either a DNA test to confirm parenthood, or legal adoption documents. The child was born through surrogacy in Hyderabad.
“The certificates of identity can be issued to the baby once the applicant, i.e. J. Pearl Linda van Buren Green, submits the documents that the surrogate baby was legally adopted, or the details of the DNA test which proves parenthood,” said an official in the Regional Passport Office.
He said that Ms Van Buren has no biological connection with the baby. According to the Indian Council for Medical Research’s guidelines on surrogacy, the parents should undergo DNA testing to confirm whether they are the real parents or not.
“She says that the sperm was that of her husband, but only a DNA test will confirm this. The sperm could be anyone’s. The father has to come here or may be they can match (without the father visiting India),” said the official.
According to sources, Ms Van Buren had been informed of this by email, and she had replied that she will get a Jamaican passport for the baby from Jamaica. Her husband Eric Dalton Green lives in Jamaica and is a citizen of that country. The Indian authorities want at least a letter from him endorsing his wife’s application for the identity certificate.
Ms Van Buren caused a flutter at the passport office on January 25 when she dumped the baby at the passport office and walked off at not being issued a passport for the baby. The passport could not be issued as the baby cannot be considered an Indian national. Identity papers however can be provided but for this some proof of parenthood is necessary. It was alleged that Mr Green did not come to India when the couple wanted to have a surrogate baby here because he has a fear of flying. His wife brought the semen sample from a cryobank in New York. The eggs were donated by a local woman and the child was carried by another Indian woman. In Ms Van Buren’s Facebook profile there is no mention of a husband.