French women were forced to travel to Spain to get a longer deadline for abortion

With French lawmakers backing a bill to extend the legal deadline for women seeking an abortion beyond 12 weeks, thousands of French women are being forced to travel abroad to terminate their pregnancies. Spain is an obvious choice, but it is a costly alternative that avoids poor and vulnerable women.

In 2019, the French Senate initially adopted a bill that extended the legal deadline for women seeking abortion from 12 to 14 weeks. But a few days later, the conservatively controlled upper house backed its decision in a second hearing of the bill.

While the debate continues, thousands of French women are forced to travel abroad each year if they miss the legal deadline. For many, Spain is a natural choice, as the country’s legal deadline is set at 14 weeks, or 22 for medical problems.

Doctors say that some syndromes can not be detected before 12 weeks and many vulnerable women do not react quickly to their pregnancies.

In addition, not all women can go to Spain for a procedure that can cost between 300 and 2,000 euros in addition to travel and other costs.