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The US state department says it has uncovered birth tourism-related fraud networks in Africa, where foreign nationals allegedly used fake documents and visa “fixers” to secure entry into the US and obtain birthright citizenship for their children.
One of the discoveries was linked to a US embassy in West Africa and reportedly involved over 100 foreign nationals. The state department did not disclose the country involved.
“We shut it down, revoked these foreign nationals’ visas, and are coordinating with local authorities to systematically identify and cut off any similar operations,” the statement issued by the department on Wednesday reads.
According to the statement, a US embassy in North Africa revoked over 100 visas for “birth tourists” whose primary purpose for travelling to the US was to give birth so their children could obtain US citizenship.
In Europe, a US embassy reportedly identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases since 2024.
Investigators said they traced them to at least six companies that coached applicants on what to say in their visa interview, arranged US housing, and set up delivery plans.
“We shut it down, revoked their visas, and permanently banned several fraudsters from travelling to the United States ever again,” the statement added.
The crackdown comes amid increased scrutiny regarding ‘birth tourism’, a practice that has drawn strong opposition from the administration of President Donald Trump.
The US Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship to “all persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof”.
However, Trump has long argued that foreign nationals exploit the provision of the law by travelling to the US to give birth, thereby driving up migration numbers.
Just hours after taking office last January, Trump issued an executive order ending the birthright citizenship privilege.
But the legality of the president’s executive order remains uncertain, as it is currently blocked by court injunctions.
The state department has continued to warn foreign nationals against engaging in birth tourism, promising strict penalties for defaulters.
Last July, the US embassy in Nigeria cautioned Nigerians against travelling to the country with the primary intention of giving birth and claiming US citizenship for their children.
The embassy said such travel applications would be denied if consular officers had reason to believe that birthright citizenship is the main motivation.
