Apparently this has been going on for a while. BBC News describes a Russian-language website offering travel services to Argentina for such clients. Argentine authorities seem to think that their services are not entirely legal:
A Russian-language website seen by the BBC offers various packages for expecting mothers who wish to give birth in Argentina. The website advertises 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".The BBC also reports, “The number of arrivals has increased recently, which local media suggests is a result of the war in Ukraine.“
The packages range from "economy class", starting at $5,000 (£4,144), to "first class", starting at $15,000 (£12,433).
The website says its founder has been facilitating birth tourism and offering migration support since 2015, and the company says it is "100% Argentinian".
On Saturday, La Nacion reported that Argentinian police has been carrying out raids as part of an investigation into a "million-dollar business and illicit network" that allegedly provided pregnant Russian women and their partners with fake documents issued in record time to allow them to settle in Argentina.
Police said the gang [sic] charged up to $35,000 (£29,011) for the service.
The BBC does not give the organization’s name. But Raúl Kollmann refers to what a firm called RuArgentina as providing such services, but mentions that numerous groups are involved. Kollmann also notes that of Russian women coming to Argentina in 2022 and having babies there, over 70% returned to Russia within a month and a half of giving birth.
Argentine immigration law (like US law) recognizes birthright citizenship, under which babies born in Argentina are automatically considered Argentine citizens. Argentine law is also generous in allowing parents of Argentine citizens by birth can also acquire citizenship. The requirements for non-Argentine-citizen immigrants is significantly more strenuous.
He also reports that the prosecutor investigating this issue, María Servini, is examining several hypotheses about what is going on: giving birth in Argentina is cheaper than in Russia; the mothers are seeking to get Argentine passports which could allow them to travel internationally with fewer restrictions than from Russia; money laundering, though Kollmann notes that Argentine citizens face more stringent control on the practice than Russian citizens; and, as a part of creating a substitute identity for Russian agents. (None of the reports I’ve seen indicate that Argentine visas attined in this specific way were used for espionage purposes.)
Kollmann also observes that Russian children who acquire Argentine citizenship can use it to avoid being drafted in later years.
But it’s not entirely clear from the reports cited here that this is any kind of indication that this travel has particularly to do with the current Russia-Ukraine War or dissatisfaction with Russian foreign policy. We can speculate that the war and the effects of the sanctions against Russia may have added new urgency to the desire of some affluent Russians to make plans for possible relocation outside the country.
The BBC notes, “‘Birth tourism’ by Russian citizens to Argentina appears to be a lucrative and well-established practice.“ The label “birth tourism” is a bit reminiscent of American xenophobes’ demagoguery about “anchor babies.” But it may not be the right term to apply to the case of Russian women seeking to get out of Russia now, even though it seems to fit most of the over 70% of cases from last year cited above. If the current crop of pregnant Russian visitors includes a significant number who are actually intending to stay indefinitely, that’s immigration, not “tourism.”
It’s also worth noting here that significant European immigration to Argentina has been going on since the 19th century, particularly from Germany and Italy, but also from Russia. So many Jewish refugees from Russia came to Argentina that the Argentine word “ruso (rusa)” can mean either “Russian” or “Jewish” depending on the context.
Sources:
Berardi, Luján (2023): Embarazadas rusas. No se sabe si las mujeres que estuvieron demoradas en Ezeiza se quedarán en la Argentina. In: La Nación 11.02.2023.
Gozzi, Laura (2023): Pregnant Russian women flying to Argentina for citizenship, officials say. BBC News 02/12/2023.
Kollmann, Raúl (2023): Three articles in Pagina/12 11.02.2023. (Accessed: 2023-12-02). (1) Qué hay detrás de la ola de embarazadas rusas: La industria judicial de pasaportes argentinos.
Tausende schwangere Russinnen reisen nach Argentinien. Spiegel Online 12.02.2023.
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