South American country is experiencing a boom in birth tourism, as Russians make use of rare visa-free travel
Polina Cherepovitskaya with baby Sofia and husband Aleksandr Konkov.Standing in line at the maternity ward of the Sanatorio Finochietto hospital in bustling Buenos Aires, Polina Cherepovitskaya suddenly overheard the familiar sound of the Russian language.
While the concept of birth tourism isn’t new, Moscow’s isolation from the west as a result of the war has made, where Russians face no visa requirements, the go-to destination for families looking to give their children the privileges of second citizenship. Vladimir Putin’s call-up of hundreds of thousands of military reservists may have added to the trend.
“Buenos Aires is in demand right now; it is the only destination we currently work with,” said Eva Pekurova, who runs an agency that arranges travel documents, accommodation and hospital stays for pregnant Russians giving birth abroad. Like many other firms in the industry, Pekurov’s company previously offered similar tours to Miami, Florida – once a hotspot for birth tourism.
Besides the privileges of an Argentinian passport, she said Russian clients chose Buenos Aires for its high quality of healthcare, both private and public. Kirill Makoveev, the founder of the Baby.RuArgentina agency, said his firm alone had helped more than 100 Russian women and their partners in the past year.
Cherepovitskaya, the jewellery designer, said that almost all Russian-speaking translators, who are required to be present when legalising the child, were booked up weeks ahead. Those available were charging “exorbitant” fees. Argentina has a history of welcoming Russian migrants: At the end of the 19th century, many Russian Jews, fleeing poverty and pogroms, sailed across the Atlantic, while a smaller wave of Russians arrived after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
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