<P> Birth tourism is travel to another country for the purpose of giving birth in that country . "Anchor baby" is another related term which can have negative connotations . The main reason for birth tourism is to obtain citizenship for the child in a country with birthright citizenship (jus soli). Other reasons include access to public schooling, healthcare, sponsorship for the parents in the future, or even circumvention of China's two - child policy . Popular destinations include the United States and Canada . Another target for birth tourism is Hong Kong, where mainland Chinese citizens travel to give birth to gain right of abode for their children . </P> <P> To discourage birth tourism, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom have modified their citizenship laws at different times, granting citizenship by birth only if at least one parent is a citizen of the country or a legal permanent resident who has lived in the country for several years . Germany has never granted unconditional birthright citizenship, but has traditionally used jus sanguinis, so, by giving up the requirement of at least one citizen parent, Germany has softened rather than tightened its citizenship laws; however, unlike their children born and grown up in Germany, non-EU - and non-Swiss - citizen parents born and grown up abroad usually cannot have dual citizenship themselves . </P> <P> No European country presently grants unconditional birthright citizenship; however, most countries in the Americas, e.g., the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil do so . In Africa, Lesotho and Tanzania grant unconditional birthright citizenship, and so do in the Asian - Pacific region Fiji, Pakistan, and Tuvalu . </P>

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