अमेरिका ने ‘बर्थ टूरिज्म’ पर कसा शिकंजा

The US State Department announced on Wednesday that it has revoked the visas of more than 600 foreign nationals as part of a new campaign against “birth tourism” (traveling abroad to give birth). The department stated that it has established a “Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force.” Its objective is to identify visa holders who traveled to the US to give birth and to locate those who facilitated such travel. This task force reviews the activities and travel history of visa holders worldwide. It also analyzes information available to the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies. Its mandate is to identify instances of birth tourism, revoke visas, and dismantle networks that profit from this practice. In a fact sheet, the State Department stated, “The Birth Tourism Task Force has taken action to revoke the visas of more than 600 foreign nationals worldwide to protect the country from this abuse,” noting that it identifies indicators of potential ineligibility. It further stated that the Secretary of State possesses broad authority to revoke visas. This move follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on August 6. The order defines birth tourism as the entry of a foreign national on a non-immigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth on US soil; it also encompasses efforts to facilitate such travel.