UK Sikh couple told they can't adopt white baby

  • 03/07/2017
Reena and Sandeep Mander will now be looking to overseas adoption agencies, and taking their case to court.
Reena and Sandeep Mander will now be looking to overseas adoption agencies, and taking their case to court. Photo credit: Facebook

A British-born couple are devastated after being refused by an adoption service agency, who told them they couldn't apply to adopt a baby because all of the babies on their list were white.

Reena and Sandeep Mander were told that they would not be allowed to apply to adopt a baby, because British and European couples would be preferred. They were refused by Windsor and Maidenhead's council agency Adopt Berkshire, and now have the backing of their local MP Theresa May in fighting back against the decision.

Sikh Federation UK president Narinderjit Sing said: "The couple were offering to adopt a child needing a stable, caring and loving home. Instead they appear to have been confronted with what can only be called racism."

Despite having the backing of Ms May, the adoption agency is still refusing to budge.

The Manders, who are in their 30s, are looking to adopt after six years of unsuccessful fertility treatment. Ms Mander told the Daily Mail: "We've always felt British. When they refused us it was probably the first time I have ever felt different. This is my country. This is where I've been born and bought up. I can't really identify with any other country being my home." 

The couple said they will now be looking to adopt overseas, but want to raise awareness of what happened to them so that other couples aren't subject to the same treatment. In the meantime they are also taking their case to court.

Newshub.