Nigeria Ranks 4th in Global Birth Tourism for US Birthright Citizenship

Nigeria has been ranked fourth globally in birth tourism, with an estimated 33,000 Nigerian women traveling to the United States annually to give birth. This practice allows their newborns to automatically receive US citizenship. Other countries with high birth tourism rates include China, Taiwan, South Korea, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, and Mexico.

According to the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the cost for these birth tourists can range between $7,000 and $100,000, with the practice enabling the parents to potentially migrate to the US themselves after the child turns 21. This circumvents standard immigration limits, making birth tourism a popular but controversial option.

Commenting on the trend, Kaizen D. Asiedu (@thatsKAIZEN) shared on X, “Although there is no exact figure for Nigerians who have practiced 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 United States government has recognized the problem and enacted measures to curb the rise of birth tourism. In January 2020, the US Department of State issued a regulation restricting B-visa applicants suspected of traveling primarily to give birth. The regulation 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 on birthright citizenship resurfaced after former US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to end this practice, igniting widespread discussion about immigration policies. While tracking birth tourism has been challenging due to its overlap with medical travel, a federal indictment has revealed that some birth tourism operators charge as much as $100,000 for their services. One major operator was found to have processed over $3.4 million in international wire transfers using 14 different bank accounts within just two years.

Between 2015 and 2020, a review of approximately 3,000 Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS) narratives revealed the scale of the practice. Many birth tourism agencies actively promote packages to expectant mothers, offering services such as accommodation, medical care, and legal guidance.

For instance, a California-based company, ‘Ada Baby’, offers packages priced between $22,000 and $38,000, not including hospital, doctor, or airfare fees. In Florida, ‘Miami Mama’ provides similar packages ranging from $6,900 to $49,000, with options for private hospital rooms and consultations with US doctors.

A report from the US Senate highlighted that many birth tourists declare large sums of cash—typically between $20,000 and $50,000—upon entry into the US to cover their expenses. Some make multiple trips to the country to ensure their child’s birthright citizenship.

One of the major concerns surrounding birth tourism is the financial strain it places on US healthcare facilities. Birth tourists often receive substantial discounts on their medical bills, with some exceeding $25,000. These costs are often absorbed by state healthcare systems or Medicaid, leading to concerns about the abuse of public resources.

In some cases, federal indictments have revealed instances where birth tourists did not pay their medical bills in full. For example, one couple paid only $4,600 of a $32,291 hospital charge, while another paid a discounted rate of $4,080 for a hospital bill that exceeded $28,000.