Infertility down under is becoming so serious now that infertile couples are turning to surrogacy.

Interestingly though it isn’t fellow Australians who they are turning to for help, but Indians and Thais.

Paying for potential surrogates outside of Australia is now big business with over 600 women from India and Thailand already having given birth to wealthy Australian couples.

In fact in the year 2011 -12 over 300 babies were born via overseas surrogacy since paying women to have a baby is illegal in Australia.

Infertility is now a worldwide problem with around 48 million people known to suffer from the condition.

Why India and Thailand?

Quite simply poverty is immense in these countries, and having a baby for a wealth couple is effectively easy money and a good income.

However surrogacy (commercial or otherwise) is illegal in Thailand, but when needs must, this does not appear to put women off undergoing insemination.

But what about the child?

Australia has one of the most stringent immigration rules in the world. Yet, even this plus the fact that Queensland and New South Wales have both outlawed international commercial surrogacy, hasn’t stopped infertile couples taking the chance of bringing in a baby born overseas.

Even more interesting is the fact that many Australians felt going overseas to have a baby was worth breaking the law. Most who have already done so say they would do it again.

Currently, under Australian law if a baby’s DNA is proved to be connected to one parent then citizenship for the child is automatically awarded.

Whether this law and the laws on surrogacy will change however is not known. Either way, surrogacy it seems is here to stay.