More than 5,000 pregnant Russian women have entered Argentina in recent months, including 33 who arrived on a single flight on Thursday 9th February, according to officials.
The national migration agency reported that all the latest arrivals were in the final weeks of pregnancy.
The reason for the influx is believed to be the desire of these women to ensure that their children are born in Argentina to obtain Argentine citizenship.
Obtaining the country’s citizenship for their newborns would grant them greater freedom than they would have with a Russian passport, as it allows access to 171 countries visa-free.
The number of arrivals has increased in recent months, with local media suggesting that the situation in Ukraine is behind the uptick.
Travelling to many Western countries has become more difficult for Russians since their country invaded Ukraine last February.
Of the 33 women who arrived in Buenos Aires on one flight, three were detained for “problems with their documentation,” joining three others who came the previous day.
The Russian women had initially claimed they were visiting Argentina as tourists, but this was disproved upon further inspection.
In addition to obtaining citizenship for their children, having an Argentine child also speeds up the citizenship process for the parents themselves.
Currently, Russians can travel visa-free to only 87 countries. Last September, the visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia was suspended, resulting in the need for additional documentation, increased processing times, and more restrictive rules for issuing visas.
Migration agency head Florencia Carignano told La Nacion that the issue is that “they come to Argentina, sign up their children as Argentine and leave.” She added, “Our passport is very secure across the world. It allows [passport-holders] to enter 171 countries visa-free.”
