Italian lawmakers on Wednesday extended the country's ban on surrogacy to couples who seek it abroad, despite warnings the move would damage children's rights.

The highly divisive bill, adopted by the Senate, makes Italians who seek surrogacy in other countries liable for prosecution on their return home.

It was championed by the far-right Brothers of Italy party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a self-described "Christian mother" who won 2022 elections on a campaign of nationalism and traditional family values.