Saipan birth tourism for Chinese mothers

Saipan birth tourism for Chinese mothers

2025-02-21

So-called birth tourism is not only happening on the US mainland. Pregnant Chinese mothers have been heading to a US territory much closer to home to have their babies and obtain for them - coveted U.S. citizenship. VOA Mandarin’s Yu Yao and Jiu Dao have the details from Saipan, capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. Elizabeth Lee narrates.

Tourists may come to Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, for its Pacific Island beauty, but not this mother. She’s here so her daughter can acquire a piece of paper that says she’s a US citizen.

The mother has overstayed the 14 days she’s allowed to be in this US territory. She only uses her surname, Ye, to protect her identity.

Ye
Chinese Citizen
Whether it’s the education system or the everyday environment within China, there’s too much pressure. Even I want to escape. I don’t want to be there.

Ye arrived in Saipan in September, entering under a 14-day visa waiver program for Chinese citizens implemented in 2019. Before that, when birth tourism from China was at its highest, Chinese nationals were allowed to stay without a visa for 45 days.

Arnold Palacios is the governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Arnold Palacios
Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
It peaked in 2017 and 2018.

With more than 500 babies born to Chinese mothers in each of those years, Palacios says those births surpassed the number born to Saipan women. The number of Chinese births on the island dropped during the pandemic.

Since 2009, government records show, about 3,300 babies have been born here to Chinese mothers. Ye says she found Saipan on social media while researching places to give birth.

Conservatives in the US have argued that birthright citizenship encourages illegal immigration and is being exploited.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end it.

Donald Trump
US President
We’re the only country in the world that does this with birthright, as you know, and it’s just absolutely ridiculous.

While this order is being challenged in court, Ye hopes there will be a good outcome for her daughter and maybe even herself.

Ye
Chinese Citizen
I felt once I got here, it’s more humane place. For sure there will be a way to solve the challenges I am facing.

Since the end of last year, travelers from China have to apply online for a waiver and be vetted through an electronic pre-screening process before they are allowed to enter.

For Yu Yao and Jiu Dao in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Elizabeth Lee, VOA News.

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中國孕婦赴美產子利用免簽入塞班島生美國寶寶

2025-02-21

赴美產子，或所謂”生育旅遊”，不只到美國本土，有些中國孕婦選擇離家最近的美國領土生產，讓孩子擁有美國籍。來看美國之音的報導。

觀光客到北馬里亞納群島的首府塞班島，或許因為太平洋島嶼美景前來，但這位媽媽來這裡的目的，是為了讓她的女兒成為美國公民。

這位媽媽在這美國領土上，已滯留超過規定的14天，她僅用姓氏葉，來保護自己的身份。

[[中國媽媽葉小姐]]
“(在中國)生活的環境太壓抑了、太壓迫了，就連我自己都想逃。”

葉小姐在九月抵達塞班島，透過2019年實施的，給中國公民14天免簽證計畫入境。之前，當中國孕婦到塞班島生產人數到高峰時，當地允許中國遊客在島上停留45天

北馬里亞納群島總督阿諾德•帕拉西奧斯這樣說:

[[北馬里亞納群島總督阿諾德•帕拉西奧斯]]
“到2017、2018年時達到高峰”

帕拉西奧斯表示，近幾年，每年有超過500名中國媽媽前來生產，他說，中國孕婦產下的嬰兒數量，已超越了本地新生兒數量，而疫情期間人數則大幅下降。

根據政府資料顯示，2009年以來，由中國母親生產的嬰兒約有3，300名。葉小姐表示，她在找生產地點時，是在社交媒體上發現了塞班島。

美國保守派認為，出生公民權助長非法移民，且被有心人利用。

美國總統川普在上任的第一天，就簽署了一項行政命令，要取消這個制度。

[[美國總統川普]]
“我們是唯一給予出生公民權的國家，這太荒謬了。”

不過，關於這項命令，目前正受到法官挑戰。葉小姐希望結果能對女兒，甚至她自己都是好的。

[[中國媽媽葉小姐]]
“他們比較人性化，比較人道主義，以後肯定會有方法。”

去年底開始，中國遊客入境前，必須提交電子申請。

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