An Indian-origin Sikh couple in the United Kingdom were denied to adopt a white child because of their “cultural heritage” and were asked to adopt a child from India instead.

Sandeep and Reena Mander, from  Berkshire, said that they were told not to apply for adoption as white British or European citizens would be given preference.

The couple told the Berkshire adoption agency that they would be delighted to adopt a child of any ethnic background, but were rejected as only white children were available.

The Manders claim they were told to adopt a child from India instead.

Adoption centers are allowed to prioritise on the basis of race to match children to prospective parents of the same ethnic background.

But the UK government has also said that a child’s ethnicity should not be a barrier to adoption.

The Manders will take their case to court. They are applying to Slough County court, seeking a declaration that the policy should allow them to adopt. They are being represented by the law firm McAllister Olivarius and their case is supported by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The couple had been trying to conceive for seven years, including 16 sessions of IVF treatment, and decided to adopt. “Having attended introductory workshops organised by RBWM and Adopt Berkshire, giving an adopted child — no matter what race — the security of a loving home was all we wanted to do,” he told the daily. “What we didn’t expect was a refusal for us to even apply for adoption, not because of our incapability to adopt, but because our cultural heritage was defined as ‘Indian/Pakistani’,” he said.

The Manders tried at first to get the agency’s decision reversed through the council’s complaints procedure and the Local Government Ombudsman, which is awaiting the outcome of their legal action.

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