International

British MPs slam Polish abortion tourism campaign

15.03.2010 15:56

British MPs have strongly criticised a campaign advising Polish women seeking an abortion to travel to the UK and get one there free on the National Health Service.

“Britain has become the abortion capital of Europe. Our laws are far, far too lax,” Conservative party MP Anne Widdecombe, told a UK newspaper.

A controversial poster campaign being run in Poland by the pro-choice feminist group SROM shows a young woman dressed in white lingerie with “My choice” written on her naked stomach. The poster reads: “Plane ticket to England special offer - 300 zloty (77 euro); accommodation - 240 zloty; abortion in a public clinic - 0 zloty; relief after procedure carried out in decent conditions - priceless. For everything, you pay less than an underground abortion in Poland.”

Poland has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe and is illegal unless the woman's life or health is endangered, the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act, or the foetus is seriously malformed. Consequently, many Polish women travel outside the country to get a termination or resort to the many illegal clinics in Poland.

A 2008 report by the Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning shows that 10,000 Polish women had abortions in Britain in 2007 in procedures costing the NHS between £5 million (5.5 million euro) and £10 million (11 million euro).

Labour MP Kevin Barron said in an interview for The Daily Telegraph that the Uk’s free health service should not be funding terminations for Polish women. “'If a woman who is not British attempted to get a termination here I would hope they would be turned away,” said Barron. (mg/pg)

Comments: 37 Add new comment

Hugo

15/03/2010 16:53:36

it's not the UK's laws that are too lax, it's Poland's laws that are too strict.
Safe, legal and available abortions for everyone that wants one is the only way it should be!

15/03/2010 17:00:47

hugo - no. education and family values are the only two ways to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies (as well as sexually transmitted diseases)

stevew

15/03/2010 18:48:16

B talks bollocks/bzudura again - with all the cheating and affairs going on in Poland the best way to avoid unwanted pregnancies is to use contraception and condoms and stop being so prudish about it . Family values dont stop conception by accident, sex education needs to be more than some priest (who shouldnt know anything of the subject) preaching the withdrawal method, and we know that doesnt work by scientific fact rather playing roulette with a loaded gun so to speak. Free contraception to enable people to plan pregnancy, education about sex, responsibilities of parents, STD's and aids are vital but that aint gonna happen as long as the church are allowed a say in it

dunderhead

15/03/2010 19:26:33

These comments are not really on topic, are they?

The central question is not if women go to the UK to get an abortion - the Irish have been doing that for decades. The issue is Poland's neanderthal abortion laws. There is a political consensus in parliament on this conservative law...but in the country Poles are split 50=50 on reform. Time for a referendum on this issue.

Karmenu of Malta

15/03/2010 19:59:20

If it is true that 'Britain has become the abortion capital of Europe', that should make every Briton blush. On the other hand, since 'Poland has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe', this is certainly a cause for celebration; even though Poland's abortion laws are not strict enough, because abortion is always murder.
Let us move the adjective 'Great' form 'Great Britain' to 'Great Poland'.

stevew

15/03/2010 20:32:24

you elect a government to govern, we dont rule by referendum, its likely that a referendum could be lost as well as one anduntil the catholic churches influence in the media, politics and society is reduced Poland;s abortion laws will remain as they are. the right to choose campaign is fighting an unfair battle facing the full resource of the church and its henchmen and threat of violence from neanderthal supporters strangely many of them men

John

15/03/2010 20:42:21

Karmenu: That UK ensures it's citizens freedom of choice, ,,Great Britain" is still Great. It is much more against family values to let f.ex. 16 - year old drug addict to give birth to a baby (whom doesn't even know the father) who after all is going to be brought up by her relative or in orphanage. If Poland would allow abortion, then it is likely that in next 10 years number of orphanges will fall dramatically.

brandon

15/03/2010 21:00:01

"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood" Proverbs 6 16-17

Tami

15/03/2010 22:09:22

Safe, legal, and rare? Who is it safe for? We have that in the US, but the only thing that is true is legal...safe and rare are lies!

birth control is the cause of most abortions due to the failure rate....chastity is the answer....sex is for marriage, successful when a child is concieved! Do not want to risk a pregnancy then don't have sex...that is the result when it is successful! Married, but not a good time....NFP is more successful in preventing pregnancy thaan artificial birth control without all the risks and yet can be used to get pregnant when the time is right!

rod

15/03/2010 23:36:44

what does the bible have to do with any of this? it was written two thousand years ago when they believed that conception happened by miracles of a god?

it is a woman's choice to do what she pleases with her body. a faetus is not a living human being which has consciousness and experiences. The argument is not about the moral implications or how it might offend other religious beliefs (which not everyone holds). What a woman does with her body is nobody's business but her own. Surely its a crime to bring a child into this monstrosity that is a sorry excuse for human civilisation.

Published comments are the opinions of private individuals and do not reflect the views of Polskie Radio S.A. With regards to this, Polskie Radio S.A. does not accept any liability for any content published. Any comments containing vulgar language will be deleted in accordance with Polish law.

News from Poland

International

British MPs slam Polish abortion tourism campaign

MOST POPULAR