Italy has recently tightened its surrogacy ban to include citizens who choose to travel to countries like Canada or the United States for surrogate mothers. The Italian Senate passed a bill criminalizing citizens who go abroad to countries where it is legal to purchase children through surrogacy. The bill extends an original ban put in place in 2004, which criminalized commercial surrogacy within Italy. The bill was promoted by right-wing parties, the Brothers of Italy and the League, with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni leading the Brothers of Italy party.
Supporters of the bill claim that extending the surrogacy ban abroad protects women's dignity, while opponents have called it discriminatory toward same-sex couples. Under the bill, Italian citizens seeking surrogate mothers in countries where the practice is legal will face fines of up to $1.1 million and two years' jail time.
