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Pregnant russians flock to argentina, seeking passports — and options — for their kids.

The Associated Press

Russian nationals Alla Prigolovkina, her husband Andrei Ushakov, their Argentine-born son Lev Andres and their dogs Santa and Cometa visit a park Feb. 14 in Mendoza, Argentina. In spite of the language barrier and the stifling summer heat, Prigolovkina and Ushakov have quickly adopted Argentine customs since their July move. Natacha Pisarenko/AP hide caption

Russian nationals Alla Prigolovkina, her husband Andrei Ushakov, their Argentine-born son Lev Andres and their dogs Santa and Cometa visit a park Feb. 14 in Mendoza, Argentina. In spite of the language barrier and the stifling summer heat, Prigolovkina and Ushakov have quickly adopted Argentine customs since their July move.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Shortly after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Alla Prigolovkina and her husband, Andrei Ushakov, decided they had to flee their Sochi, Russia, home.

Ushakov had been detained for holding up a sign that read "Peace," and Prigolovkina, a pregnant ski instructor, feared he would soon be drafted and potentially killed, leaving their baby fatherless.

The original plan was to stay in Europe, but anti-Russian sentiment discouraged them.

"We chose Argentina because it has everything we needed: Fantastic nature, a large country, beautiful mountains," Prigolovkina, 34, told The Associated Press inside the home her family is renting in Argentina's western Mendoza province. "We felt it would be ideal for us."

The Picture Show

Meet the russians who are fleeing — not the war, but their own government.

They were hardly alone.

Over the past year, Argentine immigration authorities have noticed flights packed with dozens of pregnant Russians. But whereas Prigolovkina said her family intends to build a life here at the foot of the Andes mountains, local officials believe many of the other recent Russian visitors are singularly focused on receiving one of Argentina's passports.

All children born in Argentina automatically receive citizenship and having an Argentine child speeds up the process for the parents to obtain residency permits and, after a couple of years, their own passports.

Crucially, the navy blue booklets allow entry to 171 countries without a visa, a backup plan that Russians believe could come in handy in the ever-uncertain future. Due to sanctions, Russians have also had trouble opening bank accounts in foreign countries, something an Argentine passport could solve.

According to official figures, some 22,200 Russians entered Argentina over the last year, including 10,777 women — many of whom were in the advanced stages of pregnancy. In January, 4,523 Russians entered Argentina, more than four times the 1,037 that arrived in the same month last year.

Thousands of Russians continue to arrive in Turkey, fleeing conscription

After an investigation, Argentine officials concluded that Russian women, generally from affluent backgrounds, were entering the country as tourists with the plan to give birth, obtain their documentation and leave. More than half of the Russians who entered the country in the last year, 13,134, already left, including 6,400 women.

"We detected that they don't come to do tourism, they come to have children," Florencia Carignano, the national director for migration, said during a meeting with international media.

Although Argentina generally has a relatively permissive immigration process, the recent arrest of two alleged Russian spies who had Argentine passports in Slovenia raised alarms in the South American country, where officials reinforced immigration controls.

"We canceled residencies of Russians who spent more time outside than in," Carignano said, expressing concern the Argentine "passport will cease to have the trust it enjoys in all countries."

Immigration authorities have also called on the justice system to investigate agencies that allegedly offer assistance to Russian women who want to give birth in Argentina.

It's unclear how many women have left Russia to give birth in the last year, but the issue is big enough that lawmakers in Moscow this month raised the question of whether those who choose to give birth abroad should be stripped of the so-called maternity fund that all Russian mothers receive — a financial benefit of almost $8,000 for the first child and about $10,500 for the second.

There is no discussion on whether to cut off access to the maternity fund for Russian mothers who give birth abroad, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

War against Ukraine has left Russia isolated and struggling — with more tumult ahead

The phenomenon also is not entirely new. Prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian women were part of a wave of "birth tourists" in the U.S. and many paid brokers tens of thousands of dollars to arrange their travel documents, accommodations and hospital stays, often in Florida.

Embarking on a long journey during an advanced pregnancy can be particularly perilous, and Russians in Argentina insist that their decision to leave their homes goes beyond a new passport. Despite the government's claims, some at least seem eager to make Argentina their new home.

In spite of the language barrier and the unfamiliar, stifling summer heat, Prigolovkina and Ushakov have quickly adopted Argentine customs since their July move. Prigolovkina said they especially enjoy spending time in the park with their dogs. And while the family may not have been interested in soccer in Russia, they happily cheered when their newly adopted country won the World Cup late last year.

Still, she also concedes that obtaining a passport for their newborn son, Lev Andrés, was a motivating factor for the move: "We wanted our baby to have the chance to not just be Russian and have a single passport."

Some experts say a country in which migrants once made up as much as 30% of the population should be particularly sensitive to the plight of Russians trying to start a new life. The South American country was transformed in the late 19th and early 20th century by the influx of millions of European migrants, including many from Italy and Spain.

"Given our history of migration, a country like ours should empathize more with the humanitarian dimension" of these recent immigrants, Natalia Debandi, a social scientist and migrations expert who is a researcher at the publicly funded CONICET institute, said. "They are not terrorists, they are people."

Maxim Levoshin sits with his wife Ekaterina Gordienko on Feb. 18 as she breastfeeds their newborn son, Leo, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gordienko and Levoshin arrived in the Argentine capital in December. Natacha Pisarenko/AP hide caption

Maxim Levoshin sits with his wife Ekaterina Gordienko on Feb. 18 as she breastfeeds their newborn son, Leo, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gordienko and Levoshin arrived in the Argentine capital in December.

A study by immigration agents based on interviews with 350 newly arrived Russians concluded that most are married and largely well-off professionals who have remote jobs in finance and digital design or live off savings.

Days before giving birth to a boy named Leo, 30-year-old Russian psychologist Ekaterina Gordienko lauded her experience in Argentina, saying "the health care system is very good, and people are very kind. My only problem is Spanish. If the doctor doesn't speak English, I use the (Google) translator."

Gordienko arrived in the nation's capital of Buenos Aires in December with her 38-year-old husband, Maxim Levoshin. "The first thing we want is for Leo to live in a safe country, without a war in his future," Levoshin said.

In Mendoza, Prigolovkina is excited for her family's new life in Argentina and optimistic they will be able to give back to the country that has welcomed them.

"We have left everything behind to live in peace. I hope that Argentines understand that Russians can be very useful in different areas of life, in business, the economy, in science," she said. "They can help make Argentina better."

• birthright citizenship
• birth tourism

Pregnant Russians behind Argentina's birth tourism boom

South american country offers a wide range of benefits for mothers looking to secure a brighter future for their children.

February 17, 2023

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Pregnant Russian women are flying to Argentina looking for citizenship

More than 5,000 pregnant Russian women have entered Argentina in recent weeks, including over 30 on a single flight on Thursday (Feb 9 ), according to Argentinian customs officials. All were reported to be in the final weeks of pregnancy.

Government officials believe the women were taking advantage of visa-free travel from Russia in order to give birth and secure Argentinian citizenship for their children, a privilege guaranteed to all people by the country’s birthright citizenship law . Having an Argentine child also expedites the citizenship process for parents.

Florencia Carignano, the head of the national migration agency, confirmed customs officials had detained some, but not all, of the women. They were eventually released onto Argentine soil.

“The problem is that they come to Argentina, sign up their children as Argentinean, and leave. Our passport is very secure across the world. It allows [those with the passport] to enter 171 countries visa-free,” Carignano told La Nacion .

The news comes as countries around the world, including the entire EU, have suspended tourist visas for Russian citizens, part of international pressure on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the BBC , it is a common business practice in Russia to offer travel packages for pregnant women who wish to give birth in Argentina.

The fraught political history of birth tourism

The practice of birth tourism, or jus soli, gained a national spotlight in 2020 when then - president Donald Trump introduced a series of new immigration laws, including instructing border agents to investigate whether a tourist was likely to give birth during their stay in the US. President Joe Biden reversed the laws soon after he took office in 2021.

However, the issue of immigrants giving birth in a foreign country has been politicized by the right wing in America for many decades. During the Tea Party movement during the Barack Obama presidency, some Republican lawmakers took aim at so-called anchor-babies, a callous moniker for babies born to undocumented immigrants residing in the US, while campaigning on anti-immigrant rhetoric.

In Europe, a number of countries have tightened birth-by-citizenship regulations in recent years as governments manage public opinion regarding the migrant crisis. England famously repealed its original laws on jus soli in 1981 during a wave of immigration , when Home Office minister Timothy Raison said : “We are looking for citizens who have a real connection with the United Kingdom.”

Different ways to get citizenship in another country

🤰 Jus soli , or citizenship by birth, is a law that grants citizenship to any person born in a country, their parent’s nationality notwithstanding. It is especially common in the Americas , with the United States, Canada, and practically every country in South America adopting it.

💒 Citizenship by marriage is the most common way to gain citizenship in a foreign country. Allowed in almost every country in the world, it involves marrying someone who already has citizenship. The process is complex and long to ensure it is only used by couples actually in committed relationships.

💰 Citizenship by investment is a way of procuring citizenship in a foreign country by simply paying for it. Typically offered in countries that need influxes of population or capital, the price tag is usually an investment in the local economy with a minimum value of around $100,000 to $500,000.

🌎 Naturalization is, of course, the most common way to become a citizen somewhere new. This means finding a route to get a visa that allows employment in a foreign country and then following the steps toward citizenship. This process is often long and bureaucratic, without any assurance that it will be successful.

Related stories:

🛂 The US will pilot a program to renew H-1B visas domestically

🛬 How powerful is your country’s passport in 2023?

🇺🇸 Can the H-1B visa survive American nationalism?

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Argentina cracks down on birth tourism, as growing number of pregnant Russian women arrive

• Tibisay Zea

A large number of Russian women have recently traveled to Argentina to give birth. It’s a way to obtain citizenship for their newborn children. This has Argentina’s immigration authorities worried. The World’s Tibisay Zea reports.

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A (Literal) Passport Out of Russia: Give Birth in Argentina

Since the Ukraine war, pregnant Russians have been flocking to the South American country where obtaining citizenship is relatively easy — if your child is born there.

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By Natalie Alcoba

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The passengers drifted away until only the pregnant women remained at passport control.

Among them was Maria Konovalova, who was pulled aside and asked about her pregnancy. She was 26 weeks pregnant, she said she told the immigration officials last month at Buenos Aires’ international airport.

She was sent to join several other pregnant Russians in a common area of the airport, where they dragged furniture together and cracked jokes to calm their nerves.

“It was rather strange to see, it was a camp of pregnant women,” recounted Mrs. Konovalova, who was held for 24 hours until a judge ordered the release of all six detained women.

Since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Russians have arrived in Argentina with a baby on the way, lured by the country’s relatively easy and speedy path to a passport that will give their children and them more freedom than their Russian passports.

Russians don’t need a visa to enter Argentina. And once they give birth, their children are automatically Argentine citizens, granting parents a right to permanent residency and opening a fast track to an Argentine passport.

“When I found out I was going to have a boy, I said, ‘I have to move, I don’t want him to become meat in that country,’” said Mrs. Konovalova, 25, who is from St. Petersburg, Russia.

What began as a trickle has exploded in popularity, according to Argentine migration officials. About 4,500 Russians arrived in January, four times as many as last January, though it is not clear how many were pregnant women. Two major hospitals in Buenos Aires say that Russian women delivered 25 percent to 45 percent of the babies born in their maternity wards in December and January.

Companies in Argentina are cashing in on the global turmoil spurred by the Russian invasion of Ukraine by aggressively marketing child births in the country as a pathway to citizenship.

“Childbirth in Argentina. The second passport for parents is the fastest in the world!” RU Argentina , an organization that assists Russians in Argentina, proclaims on its website. Its V.I.P. package, which includes translators, Spanish lessons and permanent residency for parents, costs $15,000.

Another agency, Eva Clinic, showcases private hospitals and tips for discovering Buenos Aires on its Instagram feed. One recent night at the international airport, it welcomed Ekaterina Bibisheva, a Russian sexologist and blogger with 4.8 million Instagram followers, with a banner and flowers as two men in Argentina soccer jerseys performed football tricks for her and her family.

“I heard childbirth in Argentina was like a fairy tale,” Ms. Bibisheva, 34, told Dr. Karina Fraga through a translator a few days later during an appointment in Buenos Aires. Sculptures of pregnant women adorned the obstetrician’s office, and a bowl full of candy with Russian wrappers sat on her desk.

Already a mother of two, she had long wanted to experience a birth in Argentina. The passport “is a bonus,” said Ms. Bibisheva, whose mission is to educate women on how to revel in their sexuality.

Some organizations have drawn the scrutiny of Argentine lawmakers who say their open door migration policy is being abused.

Florencia Carignano, Argentina’s director of migrations, believes that most Russians expecting babies don’t intend to live in Argentina, but are looking for a passport that allows them to enter more than 170 countries visa-free and to obtain a U.S. visa that is valid for up to 10 years. Currently, Russians can enter 87 countries without a visa.

Her department is taking a harder look at Russians, canceling the permanent residencies of people spending significant time outside Argentina and conducting address checks on recently arrived pregnant women to ensure they are actually living there.

“What is at stake is the security of our passport,” Ms. Carignano said in a television interview, citing a case involving two people accused of being Russian spies in Slovenia who were found in possession of an Argentine passport.

The police are also investigating the possibility that some organizations helping Russians could be laundering money and involved in organized crime. Last month, officers raided an organization that had been accused of using fraudulent documentation to help Russians obtain residency and citizenship papers.

Christian Rubilar, an immigration lawyer, who represented three of the six pregnant women who had been detained at the airport, called the reaction of Argentine officials discriminatory.

While it is true that an Argentine baby enables parents to avoid a two-year waiting period typically required before applying for citizenship, he said, other steps must still be met.

“The most important one is living here,” which means spending at least seven months of the year in Argentina, Mr. Rubilar said. It then takes one to three years to become a citizen, he said.

For Pavel Kostomarov, an acclaimed Russian film director, obtaining passports was about protecting his family.

He immigrated to Argentina last May with his wife, Maria Rashka, a movie production designer. Fearing for their safety because of their support for an opposition politician, they fled Moscow, eventually arriving in Argentina. Their daughter, Alexandra, was born in August — their “little porteño,” a term that refers to someone born in the Argentine capital.

“Russian people are looking for where to escape,” Mr. Kostomarov, 47, said. “We don’t want to be part of aggression. It’s very shameful. We’re not fighters, we’re not revolutionaries.”

Their plan, he said, is to stay in Argentina “to save a young life.” They are trying to adapt a Netflix film that Mr. Kostomarov was slated to start filming in Russia before the war broke out.

In Buenos Aires, the new Russian presence is noticeable in Palermo, a trendy neighborhood, and Recoleta, an upscale district, where many have settled. Russian is often heard on the street and local hospitals have signs in Cyrillic script.

The New York Times spoke with 10 families with infants or a baby on the way. Most had come on their own, without the help of any organization. Many are taking intensive Spanish lessons. They are looking for work, or managing remote jobs in different time zones. Networks of support on Telegram, a messaging app, offer tips on how to settle in and navigate a new culture.

Irina Bugaeva, 31, and her husband, Aisen Sergeev, 32, chose Argentina because of its welcoming reputation. They are Yakut, Indigenous people who live in northern Russia. When President Vladimir Putin announced the mobilization of soldiers in September, they feared that Mr. Sergeev would be enlisted.

“They were taking people from villages who don’t know about their rights,” said Ms. Bugaeva, who works in film production alongside her husband. Their son, Duolan, was born in November, and they have been living off savings and the money Mr. Sergeev brings in from freelance contracts. They also have a daughter, Leia, who is 5.

“I miss winter. I miss minus 50, even if it sounds crazy — but I do,” said Ms. Bugaeva, who is also a women’s rights and environmental activist. “I really want to come back home, but home is not home anymore.”

At an antiwar demonstration outside the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires on the one-year anniversary of the invasion last month, couples carrying their babies dotted the crowd.

Among them was Mrs. Konovalova, who works as an English tutor, with a protest sticker on her pregnant belly.

After her experience at the airport, she worried about being unwanted in her new home. But she focused on getting an apartment, finding a hospital and waiting for her husband, Yuriy, to arrive. She ran to him when he walked out of the airport gates two weeks after her own arrival, and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Initially, their plan had been to come for the baby’s passport and move on. But now they intend to stay, and see what Argentina has in store for them.

“It’s about looking for life, with the big letter L,” Mrs. Konovalova said. “In Russia, it’s not life, it’s about surviving.”

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

Zelensky Plans Major Shake-Up:  President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed ahead with his sweeping overhaul  of the senior government ranks as the head of Ukraine’s ruling party released a slate of nine candidates for top cabinet positions.

Head of Power Company Fired:  The head of Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s electric company, was reportedly blamed for failing to fortify energy infrastructure , which has come under steady Russian bombardment, leading to blackouts.

A Deadly Russian Strike:  Russian missiles struck a military academy in eastern Ukraine, killing more than 50 people  and underscoring Moscow’s superior firepower  in one of the war’s deadliest attacks.

Ukraine’s Scarred Students:  As children across Ukraine return to school, a teacher in Kyiv worries for her pupils , many of whom have fled frontline areas or lost family members in the fighting.

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Argentina becomes the new ‘Birth Tourism’ destination for Russian women

Monday, February 27, 2023

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Why thousands of pregnant Russian women are visiting Argentina to give birth

Argentina says it has seen thousands of new children registered by Russian 'birth tourists'. Photo / Julia Kadel, Unsplash

Argentina says that more than 5000 pregnant Russian women have arrived in the county over the past six months. With many intending to stay and give birth in South America, the country has seen a boom in birth tourism and interest in Argentine citizenship.

On Thursday a single flight carrying 33 ‘mothers-to-be’ arrived at the Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires.

All travelling on Russian passports and in the late stages of pregnancy, La Nacion reported that the women were held over “not honouring” the conditions of their tourist visas. Three of the women were denied entry to the country.

“In this case it was suspected that it was ‘false tourism’, because they admitted that they had come to have their children in Argentina,” migration agency head Florencia Carignano told local media.

Since February last year and the beginning of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, there has been a spike in interest in families looking to obtain Argentine citizenship.

While travel and opportunities out of Moscow have stagnated, wealthy Russian families have been exploring routes to citizenship in other countries. One of these pathways is citizenship by birth in countries like Argentina or Brazil.

Argentina awards citizenship to children born in the country, and automatic residence to the parents. The fact the Argentine passport is widely accepted, offering visa-free access to 171 countries, makes it an appealing loophole to Russians looking to start a new life.

Cookery book writer and photographer Ksenia Malina who came to Buenos Aires to give birth says she “didn’t regret the decision”.

In a social post the blogger says that she has been contacted by friends and strangers for help planning to move to South America.

“At that time everyone was asking me ‘why?’, in the last few months all I’m hearing now are requests from families for information and help with their own trips.”

Argentina isn’t the only South American country to see an uptick in birth tourism.

Brazilian cities have also seen a share of the phenomenon. On Saturday the Financial Times reported that so many Russian babies have been born in Florianopolis that the few Orthodox priests in the city are being inundated with baptisms. A local Telegram App forum for Russian mothers has grown to 241 members since the beginning of the year.

However, the Argentine route has grown rapidly with specialised agencies offering ‘travel packages’ for families seeking citizenship.

Georgy Polin, head of the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Argentina, told the Guardian newspaper they expect up to 10,000 Russian women registering births in 2023.

The impact of the Russian ‘birth tourism’ industry is already being felt in Buenos Aries. Local classified ads ask for childcare with a preference for ‘Russian speakers’. Maternity wards the Fernandez hospital now have printed signs in Cyrillic.

Some agencies are charging over $24,000 for travel packages, including birth plans, airport transfers, and language lessons for their new Argentine life.

Specialist travel agents Baby RuArgentina say that they have helped over 100 clients seeking travel, translators and legal assistance.

Owner Kirill Makoveev told the Guardian that his company now had a waiting list and the services were fully booked until May.

Since the war, Russian conscription has been a big concern for families and young fathers.

“If you don’t think that the Army makes a boy a man, then Argentina gives you a great opportunity to save your future son from the barbaric practice of compulsory military conscription,” reads the advertising copy from the website.

With many families looking to relocate out of Russia and invest a good chunk of their life savings in the process, the Argentine authorities worry there is a growing black market in facilitating birth tourism.

On Friday, following the arrival of the women on the Buenos Aires flight, Carignano told local media that while it is “not an offence” to give birth in the country they were concerned that the practice is ripe for exploitation by organised crime.

“There is a judicial investigation that is behind these gangs that bring women and men, and behind it there is a million-dollar business,” he said.

With agencies sprouting up online offering services in Russia and Argentina, the migration agency is investigating potential trafficking and exploitation of families.

This weekend the Argentine police said that raids were conducted regarding gangs issuing fake documents to Russian immigrants as part of an “illicit network” into the country.

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Crackdown on ‘birth tourism’ as pregnant Russians flock to Argentina

South American country has seen rise since Ukraine invasion in Russian women arriving to have children and thus gain citizenship

Immigration authorities in Argentina are cracking down on Russian women who since the invasion of Ukraine have started travelling to Buenos Aires to give birth in order to gain Argentinian citizenship for their children.

The director of Argentina’s immigration office, Florencia Carignano, said on Friday that a judicial investigation has been launched into what she described as a lucrative business that promises Argentinian passports for the Russian parents.

Carignano spoke after 33 expecting women – all between 32 and 34 weeks into their pregnancies – arrived on the same flight late on Thursday. Several of the women were initially turned away at passport control but were eventually let into the country.

While the concept of birth tourism isn’t new, Moscow’s isolation from the west as a result of the war has made Argentina , where Russians face no visa requirements, a popular destination for families looking to give their children the privileges of second citizenship.

Some 10,500 pregnant Russians have arrived in the South American country in the past year, Carignano said.

Carignano said in a Telenueve channel interview on Friday that “5,800 of them [were] in the last three months, many of them declaring they were in the 33rd or 34th week of pregnancy.”

The official said that about 7,000 of the women returned home after giving birth, leaving Argentinian lawyers charged with applying for Argentinian citizenship for the baby – and then the parents.

“The problem is that they arrive, have their children and then leave Argentina never to come back,” Carignano said. “We cannot allow them to shamelessly lie to us saying that they are tourists when they are not.”

Christian Rubilar, a lawyer representing one of the women delayed in the airport, said his client was a Russian woman who was 32 weeks pregnant and had come to Argentina “escaping from the war”.

“In Putin’s regime, not agreeing to the war is enough for one to go to jail or for members of her family to be sent to the frontline of battle,” he told the LN+ cable news channel.

By Friday afternoon, two of the Russian women remained inside Buenos Aires airport, unable to pass through immigration control. “They are not under arrest,” said a spokesperson for the immigration authorities, adding that negotiations were under way to send them back to their point of departure – an effort complicated by the fact the women arrived unaccompanied, with little money, without return tickets and more than 30 weeks pregnant.

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‘Birth tourism’ as 5,000 Russians fly to Argentina

Over 5,000 pregnant Russian women have arrived in Argentina in recent months, including 33 on a single flight last Thursday, the BBC has reported.

All were in the latter stages of pregnancy, according to the national migration agency, and they are travelling to give birth in order to obtain Argentinian citizenship.

Of the 33 women who arrived in the Argentinian capital on one flight on Thursday, three were detained because of document problems, joining three more who arrived the previous day, migration agency head Florencia Carignano told La Nacion .

The Russian women had initially claimed they were visiting Argentina as tourists, she said.

"In these cases it was detected that they did not come here to engage in tourism activities. They acknowledged it themselves."

Citizenship

She said the Russian women wanted their children to have Argentinian citizenship because it gave more freedom than a Russian passport.

"The problem is that they come to Argentina, sign up their children as Argentinean and leave. Our passport is very secure across the world. It allows [passport-holders] to enter 171 countries visa-free," Carignano said.

Having an Argentine child also speeds up the citizenship process for parents. As it stands, Russians can travel visa-free to only 87 countries.

The war in Ukraine has added difficulty to travel for Russians within the EU, as visa agreements were suspended.

La Nacion reported that "besides fleeing war and their country's health service, [Russian women] are attracted by their [right of] visa-free entry to Argentina, as well as by the high-quality medicine and variety of hospitals".

"Birth tourism" by Russian citizens to Argentina appears to be a lucrative and well-established practice.

The BBC reports on a Russian-language website which offers various packages for expectant mothers who wish to give birth in Argentina, including birth plans, airport pick-ups, Spanish lessons and discounts on the cost of stays in "the best hospitals in the Argentinian capital".

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Argentina worried over Russian women travelling to give birth

Argentine officials are expressing concern over the large number of pregnant Russian women who have recently entered the country to give birth as a way to obtain an Argentine passport, claiming three Russian spies who were recently detained in Slovenia were citizens of the South American country.

Immigration authorities forbade six pregnant Russian women from entering Argentina this week -- three on Wednesday and three on Thursday -- saying they had falsely claimed to be tourists, Florencia Carignano, the national director for migration, told a local news channel.

At least some of the women have launched legal proceedings to be able to enter the country.

"These women who didn't commit a crime, who didn't break any migratory law, are being illegally deprived of their freedom," said Christian Rubilar, who represents three of the six women detained at the Ezeiza International Airport outside Buenos Aires.

Immigration officials expected a judge to give the greenlight for the pregnant women to enter the country, saying that while they did falsely claim to be tourists their advanced pregnancies supersede that issue, an official said on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak on the record.

The pregnant women who have spent at least one night in airport facilities have put a spotlight on a phenomenon that has become evident in Argentina in recent weeks.

"The quantity really is very big each day, only last night in the last Ethiopian (Airlines) flight, 33 Russian citizens entered with pregnancies of approximately 32, 33, 34 weeks," Carignano said.

In the last year, 21,757 Russian citizens have entered Argentina, including around 10,500 pregnant women and "the numbers have been increasing in the last few months," Carignano said. "In the last three months, 5,819 women who were about to give birth entered" Argentina.

Anyone born on Argentine soil is immediately granted citizenship and having a national-born child accelerates the citizenship process for the parents.

The judiciary is currently investigating whether there is some sort of criminal organization bringing Russian women to Argentina. While authorities did not say why such a ring would bring pregnant women to Argentina, some speculate the country has the right mix of lax immigration laws with Russians not needing visas, free universal health care and a passport that allows access to many countries without a visa.

"They are ripping people off, taking advantage of the desperation of war," Rubilar said.

Authorities emphasized officials do not have any issues with Russian citizens arriving in Argentina, but they want to make sure they really have plans to live in the country.

"We don't have any problem with people from any nationality who want to come live in Argentina, who want to raise their kids here, invest in Argentina. The problem is that these people come, leave and don't return to Argentina and they leave with a passport," Carignano said.

Argentina is a country that has traditionally been open to immigrants, but red flags were raised in immigration offices after three Russian spies were detained in Slovenia with Argentine passports, Carignano said.

"These people surely came to have children in Argentina," she said.

In late January, Slovenian media reported that authorities had detained two alleged Russian spies and this time the reports said one of the two held Argentine citizenship.

"If we don't start to control who we give passports to what's going to happen to us Argentines is that they're going to start asking for visas everywhere and the passport will no longer have the trust that it has with other countries," Carignano said, noting that Argentines can enter 171 countries without a visa.

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Latina Republic

The Pulse of Latin America

Farewell Fatherland: Russian Birth Tourism and Immigration to Argentina

Immigration in the Americas is usually imagined as Latin American migrants making the dangerous trek north to the United States by the Anglophone world in the Western Hemisphere. However, the immigration flow into Latin America tends to be overlooked or ignored. There are many examples throughout Latin American history of peoples from faraway lands trying to start a new and better life in Latin America such as the German-Brazilian community. However, the Russian-speaking community has grown in the years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Problems at home have sparked people to emigrate to neighboring countries such as Finland, Kazakhstan, and the Baltics. Two Russians have even gone as far as to escape through a fishing boat from Siberia to reach Alaska.

The reasons why many Russians have emigrated are vast and depend from person to person. Many flee the country to escape from the partial mobilization wave, repression, or a hatred of the Putin regime as the economic situation grows more unstable at home as the Russian Ruble sharply fell after the invasion, despite its brief recovery period before slowly declining once more. With the economy in tatters, the regime growing more repressive, fears of a new wave of mobilization, and political reasons, those Russians who leave have chosen the hard decision to leave their homeland to go abroad.  However, many middle-class and upper-class Russians have made the journey to reach Latin America with a popular destination being Argentina.

The reason for Russians choosing Argentina is for it being a country which remained opposed to Western sanctions and having visa free travel as well as birthright citizenship. Much like in the United States, those born on Argentine soil are automatically Argentine citizens. According to Argentina’s Ley 346 Article 1 , “All individuals born in the territory of the Argentine Republic, no matter the nationality of their parents, with the exception of children of foreign ministers and members of a legation in the Republic.” Ley 346 has led to pregnant Russians making the journey to Argentina, giving birth in the country and thus their child has Argentine citizenship as well as having an easy path to naturalization for herself and her partner; this is what’s known as “ birth tourism .”

It is also because, according to The Economist , Argentinian food, architecture and culture all feel more “European” and thus more familiar to these Russian visitors. From this niche market, a small industry has taken root to offer pregnant Russians travel packages; these travel packages include accommodations, translation services and medical visits. However, these businesses tend to exaggerate the ease of Russian parents of Argentine-born Russian babies being able to get citizenship. Nonetheless, this is all compounded as well by Argentina having a sizable Russian diaspora as there are about 350,000 Russians in the country. 

One such example of these Russians are Ilya Gafarov and Nadya Gafarova who used to be a former recruiter and banker from Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. With rising demand due to the growing Russian community and health conscious locals, they chose to take advantage and open a banya. They have also brought to their adopted country traditional Russian dishes such as blini, which are Eastern European pancakes. However, among those Russians who have made Argentina their new home are members of the LGBT+ community such as Anastasia Domini and Anna Domini.

In Russia, the couple changed their last names to convincingly pretend to be sisters. It is due to living as a member of the LGBT+ community becoming essentially difficult as President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed a law which put significant restrictions on any activity that can be seen as promoting LGBT+ rights. This was not the first of these laws as there was another in 2013 which, according to independent researchers, led to a surge in violence against these minorities. Due to this, the Argentine LGBT Federation has seen a rise in inquiries from Russians who sought refuge in Argentina. 

Nonetheless, Russians who moved to Russia had realized they do not earn a lot compared to if they were in Russia, despite the sanctions. When asked by Meduza about life in Argentina, Mark Boyarskiy, a Russian trans man, doesn’t earn as much as he did in Moscow but people in Argentina were friendly and willing to offer help. He also states how Argentina is good for LGBT+ and heterosexual families as it is a country where people are free to express themselves. He commented to AP News how Argentina feels safe for him and how he had yet to tell his children he is trans because “it felt too dangerous for them” as in Russia there is a general belief: “There are no gays in Russia.”

It is worth noting President Javier Milei’s administration could nonetheless change what comes next for the Argentine LGBT+ community, migrant or local. When asked of his opinion, Milei has stated in an interview : “Liberalism is the respect and restriction of the prospect of life under the principle of non-aggression and in defense of the right to life, liberty and property. Why would I care if those of the same-sex marry? Does it affect someone’s life outside of the contract? No. Their liberty? No. Property? No.”

This lines up with his heavily libertarian beliefs but he is still anti-abortion, and derides the “radical feminist agenda” even on the international stage . Nonetheless, he has made signs of backsliding on LGBT rights due to mass layoffs of transgender people and being critical of movements such as “gender ideology.” The future appears bleak but, for the Russian LGBT+ community, this is still better than Russia. Russia is a country where the judicial system has ruled a ban of the “LGBT Movement” and classifying it as “extremist” alongside convicting people for supposed LGBT “ extremism .”

A Russian organization, the LGBT-Network, which defends the rights of sexual minorities, alongside human rights lawyers were branded “foreign agents” in November 2021. This dates back even further to even before the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia, as in April 2012 the US Mission to the OSCE has shown concern over several arrests for “homosexual propaganda”. It remains yet to be seen what President Milei chooses to do but, in the view of Russian members of the LGBT+ community, it may be better than their old home but it still needs to improve and be safeguarded in their new home nonetheless. 

It is worth noting that Russian migrants also seem to hold the liberties in Argentina to a high regard. In a Clarin article, Maria Elena Gonzalez, a professor from the Escuela de Adultos 702 de Vicente Lopez, noted: “They pay a lot of attention to inclusive language and the LGBTQ+ movement in Argentina. In Russia, they don’t have that liberty. […] They are a people who have long suffered  seeking new horizons as our Italian and Spanish grandfathers did.”

She continues, “They know Argentina is a friendly and wonderful country. The most cultured in Latin America, they have studied it. The Russians fly intellectually. They like geography and are good at using maps, learning the provincial capitals, the rivers and our topography.” There is some culture shock as, in the same article, a worker at a local smoke shop recounts with amusement: “He said that the music was too loud, came down from the 9th floor yelling in his language and he would pull out the translator so we would understand his fuss.” Many Latin Americans generally tend to be open to and tolerate loud music which is something Russians may not be used to. 

Nonetheless, Russian migrants are essentially creating an Argentine “ Little Moscow ” in Buenos Aires. In the Little Moscow in Buenos Aires, there is a Russian couple, Sergei and Lyubov Lebedeva, who own a store named “Avos’ka” which sells products one would usually find in an Argentine supermarket alongside Russian food such as vareniki – a type of pasta from Russia – and Eastern European candies such as zefir and lokum.

Even if these Russians leave their homeland for economic reasons, escape persecution and many others, they still take their culture and gastronomy with them. Though they may want their kids to grow up as people of their new home and learn the culture and language, many still carry their old home in their hearts in spite of the regime. They will still teach their kids the Russian language, they will tell their kids Russian folktales and so on. This doesn’t mean they reject their new home, in fact, they embrace their new home wholeheartedly as seen through the example of the Russian migrants that Maria Elena recounts.

Though the current Russian regime is complicit in war crimes as concluded by the UN , the “Russia” they carry in their hearts is not the Russian state but “Russia” the culture, the people, and the country. Though they may carry the scars and fears inflicted by the Russian state, they take their culture and language with them to the other side of the globe. Though they have bid the Rodina farewell, they will greet their new home all the same.

Derek Roldan Torres is a Puerto Rican senior student who is currently studying at the University of New Haven, pursuing an International Affairs degree. Through his research and writing, he wishes to bring to attention the political issues the Caribbean and Southern Cone currently faces and the stories it holds. Through the Caribbean, Cuba tends to dominate the American news cycle while some stories in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and etc. go relatively underreported by comparison. Through the Southern Cone, the region proves to be an especially important battleground as its economic importance increases. In reporting and researching these regions, he hopes to increase the understanding of these regions and their importance to the United States and the wider world to an English-speaking audience.

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Birth Tourism: What Is It And Why Is Argentina One Of Its Destinations?

Birth tourism seems to be the main phenomenon in the increase of russian migration in argentina, what is it about.

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LatinAmerican Post | Vanesa López Romero

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Leer en español: Turismo de parto: ¿qué es y por qué hoy Argentina es uno de sus destinos?

Today Argentina receives hundreds of Russian citizens daily, many of these are couples expecting to give birth and migrating in search of new opportunities away from the war between Russia and Ukraine. This phenomenon, known as birth tourism, is neither new nor does it happen only in Argentina.

What is birth tourism?

Birth tourism consists of traveling to a destination in order to give birth there, this is usually done in order for the baby to receive the citizenship of the place where it was born . Despite the fact that there are other reasons why this type of tourism is practiced, such as couples giving birth in other countries because other destinations may have cheaper or even free health services compared to the country of origin, the search of citizenship is the main one.

This type of citizenship is known as citizenship by birth or "ius soli", which means right to land, and its purpose is not only that the baby can have the political rights of the country of origin, but also that the baby's relatives can more easily access permanent residency and other rights. These babies are known as “anchor babies” or “passport babies”.

The United States, Canada, Hong Kong and Ireland are the places where birth tourism is most practiced. In the case of the United States, it must be taken into account that the migratory crises have put this practice under some control: during the Trump administration there were attempts to apply visa rules on pregnant women in order to lower the rate of immigrants into the country. However, giving birth in the United States is not a crime and the regulations around this phenomenon depend on the visa.

The increase in this phenomenon around the world has led countries such as Australia, France, Germany, among others, to decide to regulate their policies regarding childbirth tourism , which internationally is not seen as an illegal practice. Thus, now these countries require that at least one of the parents of the baby must be a citizen or legal permanent resident.

Also read: Whose Children? The Problem Of Surrogate Wombs In Ukraine

Why is argentina a birth tourism destination for russians.

Argentina is the country with the most immigrants in Latin America. According to UN data, by 2022 the country had 2.28 million immigrants, that is, 5% of the total population. The most important migrations that Argentina has received are from Italians, Spanish, French and Russians. Regarding the latter, it must be taken into account that the Russian population in Argentina has been forming since the end of the 19th century and its fifth wave occurred in 1985, which coincided with the perestroika reform of the Soviet Union.

However, with the outbreak of the war between Ukraine and Russia, it seems that we are facing a sixth wave of Russian migration to Argentina that is accompanied by the phenomenon of birth tourism. Georgy Polin, head of the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Argentina, estimated that for this year the number of Russian people traveling to Argentina for these purposes could reach 10,000. This is largely due to the fact that Russian citizens do not require a visa to travel to the Latin American country, but also to the ease of carrying out procedures such as extending the limit of stay and applying for a residence permit. This makes sense if we take into account that the country has prepared itself in terms of migration over the years and its system is much more efficient than in other countries in the region.

Although there are several Russians who practice childbirth tourism in order to return to their country of origin, they are the majority who seek to stay in the country to which they travel. Argentina is not the only destination, but it is one of the favorites for Russians seeking to flee the war that their government has started with Ukraine, a war with which many of them disagree. In Argentina they have found not only an escape, but also the possibility of a future.

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Russians Fly to Argentina for Birth Tourism

Thousands escape warzone seeking a brighter future.

• Written by MTM Editorial Team
• March 20, 2023

Thousands of pregnant women have fled from Putin’s Russia and the Ukraine war in the hope of a better future for their children. The destination of choice for many appears to be Argentina.

Migration data from Argentina shows 11,000 Russian women have arrived since the start of 2022. According to the Buenos Aires Health Ministry, 8.6% of all births at the busiest public hospital last year were to Russian women.

Passage to 175 visa-free countries

A Russian passport does not grant automatic entry to Europe. However, an Argentine passport opens the doors to 175 visa-free countries worldwide, including Europe.

“They tell me: ‘I want my son to live, I want peace for my son, I want a better future’,” said Ms Shkitenkova, an Argentinian interpreter who has been helping Russian women in the hospitals.

Birth tourism is nothing new. Birthright citizenship is the practice of granting citizenship to children born in a country , even if their parents are not citizens. Argentina gives nationality to anyone born in Argentina, and the parents of Argentinian babies are granted rights to residency and a fast track to a passport and citizenship.

Illegal birth tourism

In the United States, birth tourism is illegal. There are concerns about the impact on national security and the immigration of visitors who intend to give birth abroad. Visitor and tourist visas are not meant for pregnant mothers coming to the US solely to give birth. The US can deny entry and also ban a person from re-entering the country in the future.

In 2019, the New York Times reported that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested three southern California operators of “multimillion-dollar birth tourism businesses” catering primarily to Chinese nationals. A few years earlier, in 2015, 14 maternity tourism hotels in Los Angeles were shut down because of a huge influx of birth tourism from China and Taiwan.

Despite this, the industry is difficult to close down entirely since it is not illegal for pregnant women to travel to the USA.

Several countries have decided to end birthright citizenship, including Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France and Malta.

Countries with birthright citizenship

Countries where birthright citizenship is still in force include:

• El Salvador
• Trinidad and Tobago
• United States

Appeal of South America

Argentina, Mexico and Brazil appeal to many international patients because of the high quality of healthcare and education and an affordable cost profile.

Language remains a barrier for many Russian women heading to Argentina to give birth. The majority of them do not speak Spanish, and it is usually their first time visiting Argentina.

Agencies operate in Argentina to help parents with birth tourism and citizenship support. According to the Federal Police, packages in Argentina for birth tourism can cost between $15,000 and $35,000.

Birth tourism is a complex subject, and authorities remain cautious about the potential for abuse and fraud, especially by organizations that could be trying to gain access to Argentinian passports for the wrong reasons.

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Explained: Why are pregnant Russian women flocking to Argentina amid the Ukraine war?

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian women have been heading to Buenos Aires to give birth so that their children can get Argentinian citizenship. The South American country is now cracking down on what they call ‘birth tourism’

Birth tourism once again is on the rise.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian women have started flocking to Buenos Aires to give birth in order to obtain Argentinian citizenship for their children. Argentine immigration officials are currently closely monitoring the women as they prepare to tighten their visa requirements, reported Associated Press .

According to the report, over 5,000 pregnant women from Russia have entered Argentina in recent months, including 33 on a single flight on Thursday.

As per the national migration agency, all the latest arrivals were in the final weeks of pregnancy.

Even though a few women were initially turned away at passport control, several eventually managed to enter into the country.

Let us understand why Russian women are fleeing the country amid the Ukraine war .

Also read: Owner of Russian Wagner Group says war in Ukraine could drag on for years

To obtain Argentinian citizenship

It is believed that Russian women want to make sure their babies born in Argentina gain Argentinian citizenship.

Local media reports suggest that the number of arrivals has dramatically increased recently due to the escalating war in Ukraine, reported BBC .

It should be noted here that due to Moscow’s wartime isolation from the west, Russian families wishing to grant their children the benefits of dual citizenship frequently travel to Argentina – where they are not subject to any visa requirements.

According to The Guardian , the director of Argentina’s immigration office, Florencia Carignano revealed in a Telenueve channel interview on Friday that over 10,500 expectant Russians have arrived in the South American country in the past year.

Carignano said that “5,800 of them were in the last three months, and many of them declaring they were in the 33rd or 34th week of pregnancy.”

According to the official, almost 7,000 of the ladies gave birth and then went back to their home countries, leaving Argentine lawyers in charge of helping the parents and infants seek citizenship in their country.

Also read: Moscow says calls to ban Russian athletes from Olympics ‘unacceptable’

An escape from the Ukraine war

One of the women who was delayed in the airport was being represented by attorney Christian Rubilar, who said his client was a Russian woman who was 32 weeks pregnant and had travelled to Argentina “escaping from the war,” according to The Guardian .

He told the LN+ cable news channel, “In Putin’s government, refusing to go to war is enough for one to go to jail or for members of her family to be transferred to the front lines of fighting.”

According to the Argentine daily newspaper La Nacion , the sharp increase in Russian immigration is due to the war in Ukraine. The newspaper added that “besides fleeing war and their country’s health service, (Russian women) are attracted by their (right of) visa-free entry to Argentina, as well as by the high-quality medicine and variety of hospitals”.

Russian citizens appear to be engaging in lucrative and well-established “birth tourism” to Argentina.

Also read: Russia to showcase its next gen military might at Aero India 2023

More freedom than a Russian passport

Carignano told the local newspaper, “In these cases, it was detected that they did not come here to engage in tourism activities. They acknowledged it themselves."

She claimed that because it offered greater freedom than a Russian passport, the Russian women desired for their offspring to be citizens of Argentina.

Notably, Parental citizenship is also expedited if they have an Argentine child. Russian citizens currently only have access to 87 countries without a visa.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, it has been increasingly challenging for Russians to visit several Western nations.

The visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia was halted in September of last year, necessitating more paperwork, longer processing times, and stricter requirements for visa issuance, as per BBC .

Additionally, a number of nations, including all of the EU member states that border Russia, have suspended Russian tourist visas.

Birth tourism

Birth tourism is a business where companies for a steep fee offer foreign women the chance to come to Argentina on a tourist visa, have a baby, get medical care, get citizenship, have a place to stay with their newborn, and then leave, as per AP .

It is a lucrative business in both Argentina and other countries.

According to BBC , a Russian-language website even offered various packages for pregnant mothers who wish to give birth in Argentina.

It advertised various services such as “personalised birth plans, airport pick-ups, Spanish lessons, and discounts on the cost of stays in the best hospitals in the Argentinian capital.”

According to the report, the website reads that its founder facilitates birth tourism and offers migration support since 2015. The company adds that it is “100 per cent Argentinian.”

Also read: West using chemical weapons watchdog to justify its aggression against Syrian govt: Russia

Argentina’s effort to stop birth tourism

The issue, according to Carignano, is that they come to Argentina, have their children, and then depart the country permanently.

“We don’t have any problem with people from any nationality who want to come live in Argentina, who want to raise their kids here, invest in Argentina. The problem is that these people come, leave and don’t return to Argentina and they leave with a passport,” Carignano said, according to AP .

Argentina is a country that has traditionally been open to immigrants, but red flags were raised in immigration offices after three Russian spies were detained in Slovenia with Argentine passports, Carignano said.

“These people surely came to have children in Argentina,” she said.

According to AP, immigration authorities forbade six pregnant Russian women from entering Argentina this week — three on Wednesday and three on Thursday — saying they had falsely claimed to be tourists, Carignano, told a local news channel.

The women arrived unattended, with little money, no return tickets, and were more than 30 weeks pregnant. Negotiations to send them back to their point of origin were in progress, the immigration authorities’ spokesperson said, adding that “they were not under arrest,” according to The Guardian.

The judiciary is currently investigating whether there is some sort of criminal organization bringing Russian women to Argentina.

Two Russian spies held in Slovenia

The rise of ‘birth tourism’ comes barely a month after Slovenian media reported that authorities had detained two alleged Russian spies and this time the reports said one of the two held Argentine citizenship.

“If we don’t start to control who we give passports to what’s going to happen to us Argentines is that they’re going to start asking for visas everywhere and the passport will no longer have the trust that it has with other countries,” Carignano said, noting that Argentines can enter 171 countries without a visa.

With inputs from agencies

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