Popping out a baby on Jus Soli soil does not automatically gain your child a magical passport. Picture: Kelly Sikkema/UnSplash
Having duel citizenship can open a number of doors when it comes to exploring the world.
It gives you the power to seamlessly move between the country of your birth and your ancestral home.
There’s another so-called way of giving your passport some extra oomph, and it’s called Jus Soli.
Also known as birthright citizenship, it gives you “the right to acquire nationality or citizenship by being born within the territory of a state,” Wikipedia stated.
Predominantly used in the US, Jus Soli was a precursor in the abolishment of slavery to encourage displaced people to move from the Old World to the New World.
For interest’s sake, this all happened in the 19th century. Currently, very few countries still abide by the law. And those that do, just popping out a baby on Jus Soli soil does not automatically gain your child a magical passport.
For Australian influencer Shannen Michaela, it appeared to be as easy as that.
Michaela flew from Australia to Costa Rica to give birth.
“I know from first hand experience how much research, time and energy goes into the whole process; especially if you plan to get a passport in a country you have not visited before,” she wrote on X as a way of explaining how to “have a baby and get an extra passport.”
“Birthright citizenship is the most accessible way to obtain an extra passport,” added Michaela.
“It is an investment in your family, your child’s future and generations to come.”
Have a baby and get an extra passport 🤰✈️
— Shannen Michaela (@ShannenPill) October 19, 2023
Over past few months I have been working on a comprehensive guide to Jus Soli. The document shares how to get an an extra passport in the TOP countries through birthright citizenship. Along with all of the contacts, resources & up to… pic.twitter.com/XjkAc6Ma0b
Sigh. If only it was the truth.
Even X knew that and added reader context, just in case you think about getting knocked up in another country and giving birth there.
Luckily, X users took Michaela’s advice with a pinch of salt.
One online user summed it up perfectly when she called out the new mom for rebranding “anchor babies” to “birth tourism.”
Can you imagine Australia lettting me get on a plane pregnant so that I can have my baby there and have a lovely extra passport?? No. No brown person can do this.
— free palestine 🇵🇸 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@coquet_tish) October 30, 2023
But here's a white lady who does the same in Costa Rica and it's "birth tourism". https://t.co/ZO4vzhLhcv
Yall CANNOT tell me that white privilege don't exist cuz this woman rebranding ANCHOR BABIES into "Birth Tourism" as a business opportunity, but if Brown and Black ppl do this solely to give their child a better life, they're either deported, imprisoned, or shot by border control https://t.co/6M5npF8T64
— KeanuAndre7 (@Unaek_Swerdna7) October 30, 2023
amazing how all those countries on your list of 'birth Tourism" have their citizens literally dying on our borderlands mean while perspectives like this don't address the cultures... so it's cool for you but what about brown/black/ mamas wanting a passport for their babies? https://t.co/6sexPE7RGW
— RAEchel Running (@RAEchelRUNNING) October 30, 2023
Suffice to say, we don’t think Michaela will be getting any newsletter sign-ups to find out more...
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