Italy’s parliament made it illegal on Wednesday for couples to go abroad to have a baby via surrogacy — a pet project of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party which activists say is meant to target same-sex partners.

Italy passed a law on Wednesday that criminalizes seeking surrogacy abroad, a move the country’s conservative government said would protect women’s dignity, while critics see it as yet another crackdown by the government on L.G.B.T. families, as the law will make it virtually impossible for gay fathers to have children.

The legislation extends a surrogacy ban already in place in Italy since 2004 to those who go to countries such as the U.S. or Canada, where it is legal, imposing jail terms of up to two years and fines of up to $1.1 million. More: 'A child is a gift': Pope Francis calls for a ban on surrogacy, calls it 'deplorable'