The Guardian | July 19, 2026
Transnational surrogacy arrangements are on the rise, but the increase also brings a rise in the number of children at risk of being “stateless.” Countries have different approaches to regulating surrogacy and parental recognition of children born from foreign surrogacy arrangements, and nations disagree about whether to ban or regulate surrogacy–both leaving an absence of global agreement on how to address surrogacy and the risks of statelessness.
The Guardian | July 19, 2026
Couples interested in surrogacy are increasingly choosing arrangements in Mexico, where surrogacy is largely unregulated and more affordable than surrogacy in the U.S. Feminist groups in Mexico raise concerns about exploitation of surrogates due to the lack of regulation, but they disagree about whether the practice should be banned or regulated.
Mexico News Daily | July 18, 2024
International agencies promote surrogacy in Mexico even though there is no federal regulation, and explicit laws on surrogacy exist in only 4 states. Mexico’s Supreme Court legalized surrogacy in 2021, but lack of adequate regulation leaves open the door to human rights violations, with no legal recourse for the parties involved.
Al Jazeera | September 6, 2023
The Georgian government is planning to ban compensated surrogacy for foreigners. Some critics point to the conservative political agenda behind the bill. It will likely put pressure on surrogacy industries in the US and Canada and emerging “hubs” in Argentina, Mexico, and Uganda.
The Washington Post | June 29, 2023
Lower costs motivate some prospective parents to seek out surrogates in Mexico, but the lack of regulation for foreigners makes the practice precarious.
El País | April 3, 2023
Because surrogacy in the United States–the most popular destination– is so expensive, more couples from countries where surrogacy is illegal are turning to Mexico to find surrogates. But the industry’s lack of regulation leaves surrogates vulnerable to exploitation.
CNBC | March 7, 2023
With more intended parents interested in surrogacy––largely from wealthier Western countries––comes more demand for surrogates. Women in countries including Georgia and Mexico are drawn to surrogacy because of the financial compensation, but risks of exploitation–particularly in a largely unregulated industry– remain.
Abril Castro Prieto | WorldCrunch | November 3, 2022
Abril Castro Prieto from Mexico illustrates the effects of racism and colonialism on the reproductive technology industry and shares her personal experience with reciprocal IVF (mis-translated from original Spanish into the English version as “surrogacy”). When choosing an anonymous sperm donor, her doctor assumed she would opt for a white donor, i.e. expecting she would want to “improve the race.”
Emily Green | Vice | October 28, 2022
Increasing demand among U.S. couples for cheaper surrogacy options has contributed to a surrogacy boom in Mexico. Mexican women are signing up to be surrogates, but the lack of regulations to oversee it leave surrogates vulnerable to exploitation.
Deseos
By GIRE Mexico | 2017
GIRE, a Mexico-based organization that has studied, documented, published, and advocated on international recently released a documentary on the practice in 2017. “Deseos” or “Longing” follows Mirna, a divorced gestational mother with three of her own and shines a critical light on the lack of regulation around surrogacy in Mexico.
Visit GIRE’s website and read the organization’s latest report on surrogacy in Mexico. In it, GIRE offers a comprehensive overview of the current status of surrogacy, the scope of the debate around the practice, legal frameworks, cases, and recommendations. The last includes, for example:
