Pregnant Russian women entering Argentina to give birth for citizenship denied entry

Officials in Argentina have expressed concerns over the large number of pregnant Russian women who are travelling to the South American nations to give birth and obtain the country’s passport. Earlier on Friday, at least six pregnant Russian women were stopped from seeking refuge in Argentina by the immigration authorities this week, who falsely claimed that they were tourists. 

On Wednesday, three other pregnant women were forbidden from entering, meanwhile, three others were stopped on Thursday, according to emerging reports. Since Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine, an estimated 21,757 Russian citizens have entered Argentina. Of these, 10,500 are pregnant women. 

Russian women lunch legal proceedings in court

Argentina’s national director for migration, Florencia Carignano, told a local news channel that as the officers denied permission for the Russian women to enter the country, they launched legal proceedings in the court. A judge, in turn, gave a permission basis for the habeas corpus petition on Friday to allow nearly six women to enter who presumably will give birth. 

“These women who didn’t commit a crime, who didn’t break any migratory law, are being illegally deprived of their freedom,” Christian Rubilar, the attorney for six women who were detained at the Ezeiza International Airport outside Buenos Aires noted in a statement carried by ABC. “The pregnant women have put a spotlight on a phenomenon that has become evident in Argentina in recent weeks,” furthermore he noted. The number of Russian women who give birth in Argentina is multiplying by manyfold. The numbers have drastically increased in the last few months. “In the last three months, 5,819 women who were about to give birth entered” Argentina, Carignano told the outlet. 

“The quantity (of women entering the airport) 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 was quoted as saying. 

As per the laws in Argentina, kids are granted immediate citizenship if they take birth in the South American nation. This also expedited the citizenship application of the parents. The country’s judiciary is investigating whether any criminal organisation is co-ordinating the arrival of Russian women who are specifically pregnant.

“They are ripping people off, taking advantage of the desperation of war,” the Argentine official reportedly noted. Officials have no problems with Russian citizens coming into the country, but it has to be ascertained that they plan to live in Argentina, raise the kids and start a family as well as invest in Argentina. Earlier this year, Slovenian press reported that immigration officers had detained two Russian spies who held Argentina 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.