What explains the rise of birth tourism?

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Shop Flow-Y now at lululemon.com What explains the rise of birth tourism?

**Joseph Chance** (1:08)
Thanks for asking.
When a woman is heavily pregnant, holiday or travel plans don't typically top the priority list. After all, flying isn't generally recommended during the latter stages of pregnancy.
But that hasn't stopped the controversial trend of birth tourism from developing. The basic idea is for a mother to give birth in a country different to where they live, essentially so that her child gets dual nationality. That may in turn lead to the parents also obtaining citizenship for the country where their child is born. Over on TikTok, the birth tourism hashtag has garnered over 19 million views. Does that work in every country?
Birth tourism works in countries that offer birthright citizenship, automatically granting citizenship to any baby born on their soil. According to MailOnline, that's the case in 31 countries in the world, most of which are in the Americas. That includes the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. With dual nationality, there's no need for a visa, and administrative tasks become much simpler, be it for work, politics, or daily affairs. It also secures permanent residency rights in both countries for the child and their parents. Those practicing birthdorism are essentially seeking a way to live in a foreign country without the usual hassles. Australian influencer Shannon McKayla travelled to Costa Rica to give birth in 2023, and openly promoted the practice on her Instagram account.

**Shannon McKayla** (2:44)
We ended up choosing Costa Rica because they have no standing military and really stable political climate. They consider it a tax haven, so you don't have to pay income tax from money made outside the country. They have a thriving holistic birth scene here. We found midwives who we really loved and shared similar values with.

**Joseph Chance** (2:59)
Why is it controversial then? Some social media commenters have said that birthdorism gets positive attention because it caters to privileged individuals. It's primarily embraced by Western tourists enjoying extensive international mobility. Moreover, when these parents decide to relocate, they often choose destinations where their spending power goes a lot further. Consequently, birthdorism is seen as opportunistic. Shannon McKayla was accused of New Age colonialism by one social media user, while another wrote, This is some serious what's classy if you're rich, but trashy if you're poor vibes. Back in early 2023, Argentinian immigration authorities announced a crackdown on Russian women arriving in the country to give birth. 10,500 had done so since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, in order to gain Argentinian citizenship for their children. The general sentiment on social media is that birthdorism is associated with the affluent, while when it happens the other way around, the term immigration is used with more negative undertones. Some online voices connect this approach with the idea of white privilege.
There you have it.
Now you know what explains the rise of birthdorism. In under three minutes, we answer your questions, and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.