Hong Kong: Japanese woman forced to take pregnancy test to fly

"It was very humiliating and frustrating," says Midori Nishida. As the Wall Streeet Journal revealed, a Hong Kong airline company forced this young Japanese woman to take a pregnancy test last November before authorizing her to board a flight to Saipan. The reason? This Pacific island is popular with mothers who want an American passport for their babies.

Midori Nishida, 25, was escorted to a public restroom at Hong Kong Airport. She had to do a urine test there, which showed that she was not pregnant, to be able to take a Hong Kong Express flight to Saipan, an American territory.

Midori Nishida grew up on this island, the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. His family has lived for years on this territory that became American at the end of the Second World War. She also stated in a registration questionnaire that she was not pregnant. But the staff of the company wanted to find out.

In 2018, nearly 600 babies born to tourists

The airline said it had apologized to the young woman and had stopped the practice. “We immediately suspended this practice, which is under review. We would like to apologize for the distress caused, "the airline said in a statement.

Hong Kong Express said it had taken "measures on its flights to Saipan since February 2019 to ensure that US immigration laws are not undermined," in response to concerns raised by law enforcement officials. Isle. "We recognize the significant concerns that this practice has raised," she said.

Saipan is a popular destination for women who wish to give birth on American soil in order to obtain American citizenship for their child. In 2018, almost 600 babies were born to tourists in the Northern Mariana Islands, a figure higher than the number of babies born to local inhabitants. According to data from local health authorities, 575 Chinese tourists gave birth there that year.

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This influx follows the introduction in 2009 of a visa waiver measure designed to attract Chinese tourists. This program has made these islands the only American territory where Chinese citizens benefit from visa-free entry. But in recent years, Saipan has stepped up measures to curb birth tourism by asking airlines to carry out checks.