The United States Department of State has announced that a U.S. embassy in West Africa has dismantled a birth tourism network involving more than 100 foreign nationals as part of a wider global effort to combat visa fraud and abuse of the U.S. immigration system.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 10, the department said the operation uncovered a sophisticated scheme in which individuals allegedly used fraudulent documents and visa facilitators to obtain U.S. visitor visas with the intention of giving birth in the United States.
According to the State Department, the network relied on visa “fixers” who helped applicants secure travel documents and make arrangements aimed at obtaining U.S. citizenship for children born on American soil.
“A U.S. embassy in West Africa uncovered a sophisticated birth tourism network of more than 100 foreign nationals using fraudulent documents and visa ‘fixers’ to get themselves visas to get U.S. citizenship for their children.
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 department stated.
The State Department did not disclose the specific West African country involved but said it is collaborating with local authorities to prevent similar operations from emerging elsewhere in the region.
The revelation forms part of a broader crackdown on birth tourism, a practice in which foreign nationals travel to the United States primarily to give birth so their children can acquire U.S. citizenship under the country’s birthright citizenship laws.
Reiterating its position, the department stressed that obtaining a visitor visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States violates U.S. visa regulations.
“No foreigner is permitted to obtain a visitor visa for the primary purpose of acquiring U.S. citizenship for a child by giving birth in the U.S.,” the statement said.
U.S. authorities indicated that the West African operation is one of several cases uncovered globally. In Europe, officials have identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases since 2024, linked to at least six companies accused of coaching visa applicants, arranging accommodation and coordinating childbirth-related travel to the United States.
The department said visas connected to those cases had been revoked, while several individuals involved in facilitating the schemes were permanently barred from travelling to the United States.
In a separate operation, a U.S. embassy in North Africa revoked more than 100 visas issued to parents who had travelled to the United States primarily to give birth.
“Consular officers – working with law enforcement and using data analytics – identified several networks abusing the system and put a stop to it,” the department noted.
The State Department said it would continue targeting visa fraud and birth tourism operations worldwide, describing access to a U.S. visa as a privilege rather than a right.
“A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. The State Department is taking action around the world to stop this abuse, dismantle birth tourism networks, and hold accountable those who try to scam our system,” it added. Adom online
