Women from Nigeria who give birth in Italy may lose their children to adoption.

Recently a traumatising situation took place in Saviliagno  Italy When a  Nigerian Girl is about to lose her child to the Italian  for Adoption, Blessing Okhekhian stated during the interview with Obaland magazine Multichoice media, I have been battling these since 2020 after the birth of my baby girl because after my childbirth I and my boyfriend had a misunderstanding that attracted my girlfriend who then was my neighbour to call the police to make peace, unknowingly to me, that brought me a terrifying situation she said ”

After the whole situation became unbearable for me I decided to call for the help of the Nigeria Embassy in Rome, previously when I ask for permission from the community assistant, they refused me the right to visit my Embassy, so I had to sneak because I couldn’t bear the pain I and my daughter was passing through”

My intention in visiting the Embassy was to assist me to return back to my country Nigeria, the storm happened on the 24th of February on my way coming back from the Nigeria Embassy to Calvaremagiore the local City where the Assistant Social Kept me and my Child, not knowing the police was already looking for me to take my child from me, almost about 20 Italian Policemen surrounded me and forcefully took my child away from me, and drag me into an ambulance, and the ambulance was asked to take me to the psychiatric hospital, for treatment, just to tune the world against me, getting there the doctors forcefully chained me to the Bed and infuse two injections on me, that injection nearly disabled me she said”  Then after I manage to get in touch with an NGO that came to my rescue with the support of the Nigeria Embassy mediator. presently the embassy is supervising my case. ( INTERVIEW ATTACHED )UPDATE COMING SOON

( Recall also the story of mary ) One scorching afternoon in the capital city of the Italian island of Sicily, a Nigerian mother and her little boy played together while she watched.

They live in a ghetto section of Palermo with other African families, and their estate is the yard of a block. She smiles as she watches her youngster have fun with his play.

But the 25-year-old is troubled by gloomy recollections. The women’s and children’s refuge where she had previously stayed had requested the return of her child.

Five years have passed since Mary, not her true name, was trafficked from her home in Niger Delta to Sicily.

She, like many Nigerian women, travelled to Palermo in hopes of finding better employment but instead found herself doing prostitution work.

Women in the Italian immigration system, she added, live in constant fear of their children being abandoned in foster care or adopted. Mary mentioned that two of her Nigerian sheltermates had a similar incident.

“Mothers who are victims of human trafficking often seek refuge in institutions like these”

Contrary to Italian custom
On behalf of the Italian government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) administer the program, whose goal is to aid traumatized mums.

However, the exact number of infants born to migrant mothers and placed for adoption or foster care in Italy is unknown.

In September of 2018, after Mary endured a lot of pain in Palermo, she gave birth to a boy.

She had a lovely pregnancy after falling in love with a nice young Nigerian man. Instead of a joyful ending, she winds herself in a shelter shortly after giving birth.

Mary said after her birth she became afraid due to the news reaching her about Nigerian women like herself who are in the immigration system in Italy and are always afraid of the government not collecting their children for fostering or adoption. Mary added that two of her Nigerian friends from the shelter went through the experience.

Just after a short period of time, the reality comes to play when The staff, she claims, has told her that she is not raising her son in accordance with Italian customs.

Her “African” practices, such as placing food directly into her son’s mouth to encourage him to eat, shock the staff, She explained that it was common practice for women to raise their children in such a manner in Nigeria.

They tore her a warning saying that if she didn’t stop, she risked having her son taken away by social services.

Dispute between children
Mary claims that henceforth the shelter staff does not provide her with the resources she needs to care for her son.

The month of September 2019, was doom for her.

She gets into a heated disagreement with the staff because they are unhappy with how she is parenting. Her son was taken from her and she fought them off.

Before you take my kid, make sure you murder me, she screams as she begs them not to carry her son.

Even her son was crying. The workers eventually let the baby go and give her to her parents, She eventually decided to leave the shelter in November with the assistance of a local non-governmental organization.

Yet, she can’t go until she and her boyfriend have proven to the social services that they can properly care for her son. Both her boyfriends gained employment and their living situation improved. After many weeks, the staff gives its blessing and says the family can move in together,  previous issues took place before this time and triggered the European court of human rights to sanction the Italian Government.

A European court has ruled in favour of a Nigerian mother.

The European Court of Human Rights found in favour of a Nigerian woman who had her children taken from her by Italian police in 2017. She was cut off from her two children who had been adopted by two separate Italian families.

The Italian was criticized by the court for failing to take into account the possibility that the mother’s unique parenting style stemmed from her Nigerian heritage.

In this landmark decision, the court found that Italian authorities had ignored her special needs as a trafficking survivor and ruled that Italy must pay her damages.

Mary’s ordeal is finally over.

She tied the knot with her longtime beau in a festive ceremony in Palermo in September 2020.

She’s happy to have her kid by her side as he matures, and she’s looking forward to him starting school.

If other migrant moms who have brought their children to these shelters are still anxious about what might happen to them, this verdict may give them a reason to hope.