Nigeria has ranked fourth globally in birth tourism, with an estimated 33,000 Nigerian women travelling to the United States annually to give birth, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
Other leading countries in this practice include China, Taiwan, Korea, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, and Mexico.
Data from the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs revealed that the birth tourists spend between $7,000 and $100,000 to secure US citizenship for their newborns. The practice often pave the way for the child’s parents to migrate to the US 21 years later, circumventing standard immigration limits.
Speaking on this trend, Kaizen D. Asiedu (@thatsKAIZEN) remarked on X, “Although there is no exact figure for Nigerians who have practised birth tourism, each year 40,000 children are born to mothers who aren’t citizens, who flew to America to have children who get birthright citizenship. They pay $40k-100k to birth tourism agencies, stay in 5-star hotels, commit visa fraud, then fly home. Birthright citizenship is being abused.”
The US government has taken steps to curb the rise of birth tourism. A regulation issued by the US Department of State on January 24, 2020, restricted B-visa applicants suspected of traveLling primarily to give birth in the US. The policy states, “Under this amended regulation, U.S. consular officers overseas will deny any B nonimmigrant visa application from an applicant whom the consular officer has reason to believe is traveling for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for their child.”
The debate has resurfaced following US President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship in US, which sparked widespread discussion on immigration policies.
The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs acknowledged the challenge of tracking birth tourism due to its overlap with medical travel. However, a federal indictment revealed that some birth tourism operators charge as much as $100,000 for their services. One major operator reportedly used 14 different bank accounts to process over $3.4 million in international wire transfers within two years.
Between 2015 and 2020, a review of approximately 3,000 TECS (Treasury Enforcement Communications System) narratives provided insights into the scale of birth tourism. Several agencies actively market birth tourism packages, offering a range of services to expectant mothers.
For instance, ‘Ada Baby’, a California-based company, provided birth tourism packages priced between $22,000 and $38,000, excluding hospital, doctor, and airfare fees. Meanwhile, ‘Miami Mama’ in Florida offers similar packages ranging from $6,900 to $49,000, with premium options that include private hospital rooms and consultations with U.S. doctors.
A U.S. Senate report on the industry highlighted that prospective birth tourists often declare large amounts of cash upon entry, typically between $20,000 and $50,000, to cover expenses. Many make multiple trips to the U.S. to secure citizenship for their children.
Another major concern surrounding birth tourism was the financial strain on U.S. healthcare facilities. Many birth tourists receive substantial adjustments on their medical bills, with some exceeding $25,000. These costs were often absorbed by state healthcare systems or Medicaid, raising concerns over abuse of public resources.
In some cases, federal indictments have revealed instances where birth tourists failed to pay their medical bills. One couple reportedly paid just $4,600 of their $32,291 hospital charges, while another paid a discounted rate of $4,080 despite hospital fees surpassing $28,000.