After being delayed in Cyprus for two months due to UK passport issues, the British fathers left the island with their surrogate-born twins on Thursday.
Pasan and Damian Fernando were stuck in Cyprus with their newborn sons River and Liko, who were born at a clinic in northern Cyprus, as the British passport office delayed providing passports for the children on time. But quite apart from the delay, the issue has raised a host of legal issues about surrogacy in general and the relations between the north and the Republic where the agency claims to be based.
The couple had come to Cyprus for when their chosen surrogate mother gave birth in early January and was forced to stay on the island ever since.
The World Centre of Baby (WCoB), an originally Ukrainian surrogacy agency that claims to be based in Limassol but actually provides their services at a clinic in the north, helped a British couple to finally achieve parenthood after a six-year wait.
The agency, which promotes its services with the slogan “Every person deserves to be a parent,” arranged the surrogacy with a woman from Kazakhstan and an egg donor from Bulgaria.
After the couple’s story gained international attention across news outlets in Cyprus, the UK and the United States, questions arose about the legality of WCoB, as Cypriot law does not permit same-sex couples to become parents through surrogacy.
The couple told the Cyprus Mail it had sought extensive legal advice to ensure the process was conducted correctly, prioritising the safety of their children and the surrogate. While they acknowledged the experience was costly, they described it as positive overall.
However, they expressed sadness that the focus had shifted to a debate over surrogacy laws rather than the broader issue of queer parenthood. Their intent, they emphasised, was not to spark criticism against same-sex couples but to highlight that everyone should have the right to become parents.
According to reports in the local media, Health Minister Michalis Damianos said that an official complaint regarding WCoB had been filed with the police in the context of the case. He clarified that the agency had never been licensed by the ministry and that its advertised services were illegal under current legislation, which does not permit surrogacy for same-sex couples. As a result, any related advertising would also be considered unlawful.
The agency, however, maintains on its website that surrogacy in Cyprus operates within a legal framework that allows embryo transfers to surrogate mothers without legal obstacles. While WCoB claims to comply with Cypriot surrogacy laws, it acknowledges that surrogacy agreements are not legally enforceable, meaning contracts between intended parents and surrogates hold no legal weight in court. However, the agency emphasises that all parties must still adhere to legal stipulations, treatment protocols and associated costs.
Despite multiple attempts to obtain a comment, WCoB did not respond to questions from the Cyprus Mail by Thursday morning.
Far-right Elam seized on the opportunity to issue a statement questioning the legality of a same-sex couple having a child through surrogacy in Cyprus. Citing the country’s legal ban on surrogacy for same-sex couples, they demanded government explanations on how the process was approved and whether Cypriot authorities were involved.
Elam also called for clarity on the legal status of surrogacy centres and whether the government plans to regulate surrogacy for queer parents.
They also railed against the so-called “LGBTIQ/WOKE agenda,” vowing to prevent what they described as “factories producing children for homosexual couples”.
A similar case emerged in 2023 when another British same-sex couple faced the same challenges. James and Ian Buckley-Walker were stranded in Famagusta for three months after their son, born via surrogacy in the north, faced passport delays.
Despite spending over €23,000 on hotels, flights, and legal fees, they struggled to obtain travel documents for their child.