Children born in Argentina are automatically granted citizenship. This apparently attracts pregnant Russian women, who are currently entering the country in their thousands. The authorities suspect an illegal network behind it and start the investigation.

Authorities have launched an investigation after thousands of pregnant Russian women entered Argentina. The newspaper “La Nación” reported, citing security circles, that it was being checked whether a criminal network was behind the birth tourism in the South American country. Computers, mobile phones, immigration documents and cash were seized during house searches in the elegant Puerto Madero district of Buenos Aires.

“There are investigations into who is behind these gangs that bring men and women here. It’s a multi-million dollar business,” said Florencia Carignano, head of Argentina’s immigration service. According to the newspaper report, 83 women from Russia landed at Buenos Aires airport on Friday, 16 of the passengers were pregnant. Six Russian women were initially detained because there were apparently discrepancies in their papers. Later, however, the women were allowed to enter the country.

“Something is strange when pregnant women come in the 34th week. That’s why we suspect that they don’t just want to go on vacation,” said immigration chief Carignano. It is true that foreign women are not prohibited from coming to Argentina to give birth to their child, she explained. However, they would need a special visa to do so.

According to the immigration authorities, more than 5,800 pregnant Russian women came to Argentina last year. The background is probably the stricter entry rules for Russian citizens, for example in the EU, as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Children born in Argentina automatically receive Argentine citizenship. As parents of an Argentinian child, couples from Russia can also easily apply for citizenship. An Argentine passport is considered attractive: Argentine citizens can travel to more than 160 countries without a visa.

(This article was first published on Saturday, February 11, 2023.)