The United States has announced a fresh crackdown on what it calls “birth tourism”—the practice of traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth so a child can obtain American citizenship. The move affects Nigerians and other foreign nationals found to be involved in such schemes.
According to the U.S. Department of State, no foreign national is permitted to obtain a visitor visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to secure citizenship for a child. The department said it is acting to protect the integrity of U.S. citizenship laws.
U.S. authorities disclosed that:
- A U.S. embassy in West Africa uncovered a network involving more than 100 foreign nationals who allegedly used fraudulent documents and visa agents to obtain visas for birth tourism.
- More than 400 suspected cases were identified in Europe.
- Over 100 visas linked to birth-tourism activities were revoked in North Africa.
The State Department said visas connected to these schemes have been revoked and some individuals have been permanently barred from traveling to the United States. Investigations are continuing in collaboration with local authorities.
While media reports highlighted Nigerians among those affected, the U.S. statement did not specifically single out Nigeria. Instead, it referred to foreign nationals involved in birth-tourism networks discovered in different regions of the world.
The crackdown is separate from broader U.S. visa and travel restrictions introduced under President Donald Trump, which have imposed additional visa limitations on nationals of several countries, including Nigeria.
The U.S. government reiterated that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and warned that anyone attempting to misuse the visa system for birth tourism could face visa denial, revocation, or long-term travel bans.
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