The British Foreign Office is warning of the risks associated with in vitro fertilization treatments in the occupied territories, while a BBC investigation reveals that in at least 30 cases of IVF treatments at clinics in the pseudo-state, the wrong sperm or egg donors were used.

In updating its guidance for British citizens, the country’s Foreign Office warns that “fertility treatments in the occupied territories carry risks, as clinics are not regulated in the same way as in the United Kingdom.”

It urges citizens to conduct thorough research in advance.

#Cyprus: Read our latest travel advice for new information about fertility treatment: https://t.co/GIZq6KILXw pic.twitter.com/MPJZCjHdCn

— FCDO Travel Advice (@FCDOtravelGovUK) August 14, 2026

What the BBC Revealed

At least 30 children, most of whom are British, may have been conceived through in vitro fertilization in the occupied territories using the wrong sperm or egg donors, according to a BBC investigation.

According to the investigation, the parents claim they had carefully selected the donors based on factors such as medical history, appearance, personality, and education, most of whom were from Western Europe. However, after their children were born, they began to suspect that those specific donors had not actually been used.

Half of the 30 cases are linked to a specific clinic in the pseudo-state, which is named.

Eleven children have undergone DNA testing, which revealed genetic origins in Turkey or neighboring countries, a fact that reinforces suspicions that the donors chosen by the parents were not used.

A notable example is the case of Rachel, who in 2012 selected a Danish sperm donor through Cryos International.

SEE ALSO: IVF scandal in the occupied territories, allegations involving 30 children with the wrong donor

“It’s absolutely scandalous,” said Rachel, who recently learned that the clinic used the wrong sperm donor for her.

She says the clinic confirmed to her that it would use that specific donor; however, years later, DNA tests she took with her 13-year-old son Jonah showed that, while Jonah is her biological child, that particular donor was not his biological father.

Cryos International, the world’s largest sperm bank, told the BBC that it has no record of a sperm delivery to the Dogus clinic, while revealing that it had placed the clinic on a “blacklist” in 2016, following concerns about a sperm order for a patient.

Fertility experts who spoke to the BBC described the accidental use of the wrong donor as extremely rare.

According to the experts, the fact that there are many similar cases may indicate “negligence” or “fraud.”

The case has raised serious concerns for the families, as the parents do not know who their children’s actual biological donors are or what their medical history is. At the same time, the question remains open as to whether there are other families who have been affected.