Brazil has joined the fight against maternity tourism from Russia
Brazil has joined Argentina and Chile in tightening controls on the entry of foreign pregnant women who may be coming to the country to give birth so that their child can obtain Brazilian citizenship.
According to Russian media reports, border guards have begun denying entry to pregnant women if they suspect that the primary purpose of the trip is to give birth in Brazil. In such cases, the travelers may be sent back on the next available flight.
According to a representative of one of the agencies that organizes childbirth abroad, in just two days, Brazilian authorities denied entry to more than 10 families. Four of them, he said, were allegedly barred from entering the country indefinitely.
Brazil’s popularity among “birth tourism” participants has grown since Argentina tightened its rules for foreigners. The arrangement appealed to Russians because a child born on Brazilian soil automatically receives Brazilian citizenship.
Afterward, parents can apply for a permanent residence permit through family reunification. Additionally, once permanent resident status is obtained, the waiting period for applying for Brazilian citizenship is reduced from four years to one.
Because of these advantages, Brazil has become one of the top destinations for Russian families seeking access to a simplified legalization process abroad. However, the new restrictions could significantly complicate such trips.
As a reminder, Chile has begun mass revocation of citizenship for children of Russian nationals due to birth tourism.
Prior to this, Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro called on European Union countries to tighten visa restrictions for Russian citizens. In his view, allowing Russian tourists into Europe during wartime is unacceptable.
