US revokes over 6,000 visas in its birth tourism crackdown

The US government is doubling down on its immigration control, with the State Department revoking over 6,000 visas belonging to foreigners engaged in or facilitating birth tourism.

The department announced on Thursday, through its X handle, that its Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force had revoked the visas of people identified as involved in the practice.

“The Department of State’s Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has now revoked more than 6,000 visas from foreigners who engaged in or facilitated birth tourism,” the post read.

It also said the task force is still identifying and “holding accountable everyone involved in this illicit practice.” This implies that more visas are likely to be revoked over this practice in the future.

Birth tourism refers to travelling to another country, usually while pregnant, to give birth so the child can acquire that country’s citizenship or nationality by birth.

The latest action signals a wider crackdown on both participants and facilitators, including those who help arrange such travel.

Last month, the department announced that it had revoked over 4,000 visas, and that 700 of the revoked visas belonged to Chinese nationals.

The latest statement, however, did not provide a breakdown by nationality. As such, it remains unclear whether Nigerians were among those affected.

A core aspect of President Donald Trump’s “America first” policy and political campaigns has been a crackdown on immigration.

The US leader, during his presidential campaigns, pledged to increase deportations of people living in the country, restrict asylum and refugee admissions, and tighten both illegal and some legal immigration pathways.

Since resuming office, Mr Trump has implemented several policies aligned with this agenda. At the inauguration ceremony, for instance, he signed an executive order declaring illegal immigration a national emergency and ordered the speedy deportation of undocumented migrants.

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The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown on migrants has, in the past year, been criticised for human rights violations.

The Trump administration also imposed visa bans on several countries, including Nigeria.

It is also planning to introduce a policy requiring foreign nationals in the US seeking to change their status from temporary visa holders to permanent residents to return to their home country to apply for a Green Card.