'Birth tourism' faces stricter rules  

赴美生子入境审查趋严 华人担惊受怕倍感“煎熬”

据美国《世界日报》报道，美国南加州自去年底爆发月子中心风波以来，美国海关及边境保护局(CBP)对外籍孕妇入境的审查越来越严格，不少人只被批准停留数周或者干脆拒绝入境。在这场风波爆发之前顺利生完美国宝宝的产妇，和因脚步慢了，没赶上末班车的孕妇悲喜两样情。 [查看全文]

(ECNS)— Many pregnant Chinese women hoping to give birth in the US are now allowed to stay only for several weeks or even barred from entering America as US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) imposed stricter entry requirements on "birth tourists," World Journal (US) reported on Tuesday.

In the past, pregnant women were allowed to arrive three to four months ahead of their delivery at "maternity hotels," where Asian women give birth and stay for one month.

But now, it seems more difficult for pregnant women to give births in the US as many face being deported or even barred from entering American soil.

Many illegal "maternity hotels" were forced to shut down by authorities, making the pregnant women staying at these hotels more worried and scared.

For pregnant women, early arrival also means extra spending. Arriving on American soil two months ahead of delivery can mean an extra spending of $10,000.

In addition, time cost is another consideration.

"Apart from the hardship of traveling all the way across the ocean during pregnancy, I also had to bear the loneliness of being far away from my husband and waiting for my delivery date on foreign land," said Amy, a mother who gave birth to her daughter in the US in 2011.

A man surnamed Gao, from southwest China, flew to Los Angeles with his pregnant wife last August. After his wife gave birth to their child last November, they were urged by family members to return to China shortly after Thanksgiving Day as they were afaid of being caught to have given birth at a maternity hotel.